When iOS 26 ( named for 2026 ) launches in the fall, your iPhone and iPod will soon look significantly different, but there is still much to see beneath the frosted glass facade. Announced at Apple ‘s&nbsp, Worldwide Developers Conference, the latest version of the iPhone’s operating system incorporates some attributes phone users have watched their Android companions enjoy, plus lots of other improvements.

For example, Apple Intelligence contributes some changes in a year where Siri has been delayed, and the Camera and Photos apps have long-awaited practical revisions under their belt. Here are the improvements you can expect to see on the phone immediately.

The release date for the next version of the operating system is September or October ( presumably with the new iPhone 17 models ), but developer betas are still available right away, with a public beta scheduled for July.

See this: Introducing iphone 26 at WWDC25

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Open new Liquid cup design

The phone is getting a fresh look after more than a decade of a smooth, clean user interface, which was changed when past Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive assumed control of both the design of software and hardware. The new style extends throughout the Apple product portfolio, from iphone to Os, TVOS and iPadOS.

A second option to see app icons on the phone house screen is now available through the Liquid Glass software. No content with Light and Dark modes, iOS 26 then features an Most Clear look– every symbol is evident glass with no color. Utilizing geographical scenes, which use machine learning to give your background images more level, lock screens can also have an increased 3D effect.

Dynamic and flexible switch screen

Luster is the defining quality of wet goblet, which behaves similarly to cup in the real world by controlling both the color and the presence of light in the surroundings and near controls. But it’s not just a crystal search: The “liquid” part of Liquid Glass refers to how controls may merge and adjust– automatically morphing, in Apple’s words. The crystalline moment numerals on an iPhone lock screen spewed to hold the dog image, as evidenced by the example Apple used, and perhaps spewed as the image shifted to handle incoming notifications. The port and plugins are then rounded, crystalline panel that float above the history.

See this: I’m enthralled with iOS 26. Apple Really Made handsets Better

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Photos and Camera software are even more unimportant.

The Camera software is getting a new, streamlined program. You could say that the present Camera app is essentially a bare minimum of features that allow you to quickly frame a picture and press the great shutter. But the time you get into the perimeter, it becomes a strange mixture of hidden settings and unintuitive icons.

The Camera app for iOS 26 now has a “new, more intuitive design” that pushes minimalism to the limits. The streamlined design shows just two controls: Video or Camera. To select modes, swipe left or right. Swipe up for settings such as aspect ratio and timers, and tap for additional preferences.

Viewing the photos you take should now be easier with the updated Photos app, which is a welcome improvement over iOS 18’s cluttered attempt. Instead of a long, difficult-to-discover scrolling interface, Photos regains a Liquid Glass menu at the bottom of the screen. &nbsp,

The Phone app gets a revamp

The Phone app adheres more to its original design than other apps, with a flimsy user interface and large buttons that resemble a pre-smartphone phone. iOS 26 finally updates that look not just with the new overall interface but in a unified layout that takes advantage of the larger screen real estate on today’s iPhone models.

However, it’s not just the appearances that are different. The Phone app is trying to be more useful for dealing with actual calls– the ones you want to take. Calls from unknown numbers are automatically answered by the Call Screening feature, and only when the caller gives their name and reason for calling will the phone start to sound.

Or what about all the time wasted on hold? Hold Assist automatically detects hold music, allowing the call to be muted but remain connected. Once a live agent becomes available, the phone rings and lets the agent know you’ll be available shortly.

updates to messages

The Messages app is probably one of the most used apps on the iPhone, and for iOS 26, Apple is making it a more colorful experience. You can add dynamic backgrounds that show off the new Liquid Glass interface to the chat window as well.

In addition to the new look, group texts in Messages can incorporate polls for everyone in the group to reply to– no more scrolling back to find out which restaurant Brett suggested for lunch that you missed. Additionally, other chat participants can add their own items to a poll.

A more useful feature is a feature to detect spam texts better and screen unknown numbers, so the messages you see in the app are the ones you want to see and not the ones that distract you.

Safari makes up its mind for its own actions.

In the Safari app, the Liquid Glass design floats the tab bar above the web page ( although that looks right where your thumb is going to be, so it will be interesting to see if you can move the bar to the top of the screen ). The tab bar shrinks as you scroll.

FaceTime focuses on calls, not controls

Controls in the lower-right corner of the call vanish to get out of the way, which gives FaceTime its minimalist appearance. On the FaceTime landing page, posters of your contacts, including video clips of previous calls, are designed to make the app more appealing.

Features of the New Music app

Do you like the sound of that song your friend is playing but don’t understand the language the lyrics are in? A new lyrics translation feature that appears alongside the lyrics as the song plays is added to the Music app. And for when you want to sing along with one of her favorite K-pop songs, for example, but you don’t speak or read Korean, a lyrics pronunciation feature spells out the right way to form the sounds.

AutoMix seamlessly combines the beat and time-stretching to create a seamless transition by blending songs like DJs.

And if you find yourself obsessively listening to artists and albums again and again, you can pin them to the top of your music library for quick access.

The New Games app serves as a reminder that iPhone users can play games on their devices.

The iPhone doesn’t get the same kind of gaming affection as Nintendo’s Switch or Valve’s Steam Deck, but the truth is that the iPhone and Android phones are used extensively for gaming– Apple says half a billion people play games on iPhone.

A new Games app tries to capitalize on that by acting as a specific portal to Apple Arcade and other games. Yes, you can get to those from the App Store app, but the Games app is designed to remove a layer of friction so you can get right to the gaming action.

Live translation improves texts and calls.

Although not specific to iOS, Apple’s new live translation feature is ideal on the iPhone when you’re communicating with others. It makes use of Apple Intelligence to make it possible to converse with someone who speaks a different tongue in near-real time. It’s available in the Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps and shows live translated captions during a conversation.

Maps gets more personal

Sometimes, updates to the Maps app require revising how location is stored or adding more detail to well-known locations. Now, the app takes note of routes you travel frequently and can alert you of any delays before you get on the road.

Additionally, it has a welcome feature for those of us who mix up our favorite restaurants: visited locations. The app notes how many times you’ve been to a place, be that a local business, eatery or tourist destination. To make them easier to find the next time, it arranges them according to categories or other criteria, such as by city.

New CarPlay features

Liquid Glass also integrates with CarPlay in your car, with a more compact design when a call arrives that won’t obscure other items like a directional map. In Messages, you can apply tapbacks and pin conversations for easy access.

Widgets are now a part of the CarPlay experience, allowing you to concentrate on the information you want, such as the current weather conditions. And Live Activities appear on the CarPlay screen, so you’ll know when that coffee you ordered will be done or when a friend’s flight is about to arrive.

improvements to the wallet

The Wallet app is already home for using Apple Card, Apple Pay, electronic car keys and for storing tickets and passes. For domestic travel and TSA screening at airports, you can now create a new Digital ID in iOS 26 that functions like a passport for age and identity verification ( though it does not replace a physical passport ).

The app can also let you use rewards and set up installment payments when you purchase items in a store, not just for online orders. Additionally, the Wallet app can assist you in tracking product orders with the aid of Apple Intelligence, even if you did not use Apple Pay to make the purchases. It can pull details such as shipping numbers from emails and texts so that information is all in one place.

Apple’s new features are supported by Apple’s intelligence

Although last year’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence features heavily, improvements to the AI tech were less prominent this year, folded into the announcements during the WWDC keynote.

Use Apple’s example to illustrate how to combine existing emojis, such as “like a sloth and a light bulb when you’re the last one in the group chat to get the joke,” as an alternative to creating new Genmojis. You can also change expressions in Genmoji of people you know that you’ve used to create the image.

Beyond ChatGPT’s animation or sketch styles, Image Playground now has the option to tap into its image generation tools.

Visual Intelligence can already use the camera to try to decipher what’s in front of the lens. The content on the iPhone’s screen is now also affected by the technology. It does this by taking a screenshot ( press the sleep and volume up buttons ) and then including a new Image Search option in that interface to find results across the web or in other apps such as Etsy.

This is also a way to include event information in images you see, such as posters for large gatherings or concerts. ( Perhaps this could work for QR codes as well? ) Visual Intelligence can parse the text and create an event in the Calendar app’s screenshot interface.

Some iOS 26 updates Apple didn’t mention

Not everything makes for a keynote speech, even when it’s all pre-recorded, or perhaps even especially when it’s all pre-recorded, but some of the more intriguing, new features in iOS 26 didn’t make a big reveal clear. For instance:

• Use AirPods Camera Remote to start recording video on your iPhone by pressing and holding one of the AirPods or AirPods Pro with the H2 chip.
• You can choose your own snooze duration of between 1 and 15 minutes for alarms.
• The recording options for audio have expanded, making for high-definition recording in the Camera app with AirPods and AirPods Pro that include the H2 chip and high-definition recording during conference calls.
• Accessibility features include an “all-new experience designed with Braille users in mind”, more options for the Vehicle Motion Cues feature to avoid motion sickness and” a more customizable reading experience”.
• Reminders uses Apple Intelligence to” suggest tasks, groceries, and follow-ups based on emails or other text on your device.”
• The Journal app supports multiple journals, inline images and a map view that tracks where journal entries were made.
• Parental controls have been updated in unnamed ways, such as “enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store.”

iOS 26 availability

In September or October, the finished iOS 26 will be available with the updated iPhone 17 models. In the meantime, developers will get access to the first&nbsp, developer betas&nbsp, starting on Monday, with an initial public beta arriving in July. ( Don’t forget to ask questions, have an open mind, and have expectations before entering any beta software. )

Follow the WWDC 2025 live blog for details about Apple’s announcements.

iPhone models that are iOS 26 compatible

iOS 26 will run on the iPhone 11 and later models, including the iPhone SE ( 2nd generation and later ). That includes:

• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• Max iPhone 11
• iPhone SE ( 2nd generation and later )