The most important modifications coming to your iPhone with iOS 26

Apple lately introduced iOS 26, the subsequent main software program replace for iPhones, and it’s full of a complete bunch of recent options. The most important change is a brand new design, however there are many smaller enhancements and additions as nicely that would make a distinction in how you employ your iPhone daily.

If you wish to kick the tires earlier than the replace’s wider launch this fall, you’ll be able to strive it now in a public beta. Right here’s a bit extra element on what you’ll be able to count on from iOS 26 once you set up it in your system.

A refreshed design throughout the OS

Apple has a brand new design language referred to as “Liquid Glass” that it’s being launched throughout the entire firm’s gadgets, not simply the iPhone. It’s impressed by the visionOS software program used with Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional headset, and it options quite a lot of translucency that Apple says “behaves like glass in the actual world.” On-screen components now use “real-time rendering” that lets them react to motion with highlights and colour shifts.

I initially thought Liquid Glass was a wild change to my iPhone with some obvious issues, and Apple has tweaked the glassiness via the developer betas. Nonetheless, once you first boot up your telephone on iOS 26 for the primary time, it’s going to really feel somewhat jarring.

Messages is getting higher for group chats

In Messages, iOS 26 is including quite a lot of updates that would considerably enhance group chats. You’ll be capable of customise the background of a chat to provide it extra character. To assist make group choices or get an opinion on one thing, you’ll be able to create polls. And, in the end, Apple is including typing indicators to group chats, which ought to make them really feel extra vigorous.

Some new Cellphone options will assist you to save time

Apple is taking some cues from Google by including a name screening function and a “Maintain Help” function that may wait on a name for you. The corporate can also be including a brand new unified format choice that mixes Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all into one view.

Dwell Translation can translate calls in actual time

Apple is including an Apple Intelligence-powered function that may translate textual content in your display screen and translate speech backwards and forwards in the midst of a telephone name. The corporate is constructing the function into Messages, FaceTime, and the Cellphone app, and Apple says its fashions for Dwell Translation run solely in your system for privateness.

Some small Apple Intelligence enhancements

Regardless that we’re nonetheless ready for Apple to announce when it can truly launch its delayed enhancements to Siri, iOS 26 will embrace some new Apple Intelligence-powered options. Visible Intelligence will allow you to do searches about and take motion on stuff you see in your display screen. With Genmoji, you’ll be capable of mix two emoji into one. And Shortcuts will be capable of use Apple Intelligence fashions to enhance your workflows.

The brand new Video games app is for every part about your video games

Apple’s new Video games app will present a centralized hub for every part about your video games in your iPhone. The Dwelling tab reveals issues like updates and occasions in your video games. The Apple Arcade tab enables you to browse the corporate’s catalog of video games on the service. The Library tab reveals the entire App Retailer video games you’ve ever downloaded. And the Play Collectively tab enables you to see what your mates are as much as.

Replace, July twenty fourth: iOS 26’s public beta is now accessible, so we’ve made some slight modifications to this text to mirror that.