The Cellphone app would not usually get a number of consideration with iOS updates, however that is altering in iOS 26. There are a number of new options to stop undesirable calls and to save lots of you time.
Unified Design
The Cellphone app has a brand new unified design, however there may be an possibility to make use of the unique iOS 18 structure as properly. The unified design places latest calls, missed calls, and voicemails on a single display screen.
Favourite contacts stay on the prime of the interface, and there is nonetheless a tab for swapping over to contacts and the keypad. You possibly can flip the unified view on or off by tapping on the icon with three strains within the higher proper nook of the show.
Name Screening
Apple has expanded name screening performance in iOS 26. There may be an choice to ask unknown callers (aka individuals who you do not have saved in your Contacts listing) for his or her title and motive for calling. When enabled, that is an automatic course of.
The iPhone intercepts an incoming name, and requests the particular person’s title and a brief motive for calling. The knowledge is transcribed to textual content and relayed to you, and you may resolve whether or not to ask for extra info, settle for the decision, or decline the decision.
The particular person on the opposite finish of the decision receives an automatic response much like a voicemail asking for extra info, and they’re positioned on maintain whereas you decide on accepting or declining the decision.
To make use of this characteristic, toggle on “Ask Cause for Calling” within the Cellphone part of the Settings app.
Silence Unknown Callers
Slightly than asking for extra info from unknown callers, there may be nonetheless a silence unknown caller possibility that may be turned on as a substitute. As in iOS 18, toggling this on silences calls from unsaved numbers, sending them to voicemail routinely. Calls which might be silenced will present up on the Recents listing, and additionally, you will see the voicemail for details about why somebody was calling.
For those who do not wish to use silence unknown callers or the ask motive for calling characteristic, you possibly can set the Display screen Unknown Callers choice to “By no means.” With this setting, calls from unsaved numbers ring as regular, and missed calls are proven on the Recents listing.
Name Filtering
Along with improved name screening, iOS 26 has new name filtering options. There may be an possibility to maneuver missed calls and voicemails from unsaved numbers to a devoted Unknown Callers listing, hiding them from the primary view.
There’s additionally a toggle to routinely silence calls which might be marked as spam by a service. If in case you have Verizon, for instance, Verizon routinely marks some numbers as spam, and the iPhone can routinely ship these calls to voicemail and transfer the calls to the Spam listing. This setting will fluctuate by service.
With these choices turned on, you possibly can faucet on the icon within the higher proper of the telephone app to see calls which have been moved to the Unknown Caller part or marked as spam.
Spam Voicemails
If you faucet right into a voicemail from an unknown quantity, there’s now a “Report Spam” button. Tapping on it sends the voicemail to Apple, and you may both report the message as spam and preserve it, or report it and delete it. Deleting a voicemail from an unknown quantity additionally brings up the choice to report it as spam, and there may be an choice to report spam proper when listening to an incoming voicemail as properly.
Reporting a voicemail as spam doesn’t block the caller, and that must be achieved with a separate step. Faucet on the “i” button, scroll down on the contact card, and faucet on Block Contact to dam a spammer.
Maintain Help
For those who make a name and are positioned on maintain, there is a characteristic in iOS 26 that can look ahead to you so you are able to do different issues. It listens for maintain music enjoying, after which alerts you when an individual comes on the road so you possibly can choose up the decision.
You possibly can activate Maintain Help on any name by inserting the decision, then tapping on the “…” button as soon as the decision has linked. Your telephone will ring and you’ll be alerted to select up when an individual is on the road. If the iPhone detects maintain music, it might additionally routinely immediate you to activate Maintain Help.
Because the characteristic works by detecting maintain music, it may be imperfect when a quantity has a voice-based automation reminding you to remain on the road, or if there’s music with distinct lyrics. You will note a transcript of any spoken phrases, so you possibly can decide when an individual is definitely on the road.
Dwell Translation
Dwell Translation is a characteristic that may translate incoming telephone calls from one language to a different. When a name is in progress, faucet on the “…” button after which faucet on Dwell Translation to make use of the characteristic.
You possibly can then choose the language that you just wish to translate from (the language spoken by the particular person you are speaking to) and the language that you just wish to translate to (your language). As of now, Dwell Translation for the Cellphone app helps English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
When a translation is in progress, you may see a small discover on the backside of the telephone app that claims “Translating [Language]” and there will probably be a reside transcript of the decision. An AI voiceover will audibly translate what’s stated from one language to a different, with a slight delay whereas that is occurring.
Dwell Translation works on the iPhone to translate what you are listening to and what you are saying, so the particular person on the opposite finish doesn’t have to have an iPhone or perhaps a smartphone in any respect.
Name Historical past
There may be an prolonged name historical past obtainable for every of your contacts in iOS 26. Within the Cellphone app, faucet on the “i” subsequent to any title or quantity, after which faucet on the “Name Historical past” possibility. From there, you possibly can see each time you have spoken with that particular person, courting years again.
Sort to Siri
Whereas on a telephone name, now you can use the Sort to Siri characteristic to ask Siri questions or to finish a activity.
Display screen Sharing and SharePlay
Apple added SharePlay and display screen sharing assist to the Cellphone app in iOS 26. When on a name with an individual that has a appropriate gadget, faucet on the “…” button after which select both SharePlay or Display screen Sharing to entry the options.
When utilizing SharePlay, you are capable of choose an app to make use of with the characteristic, comparable to Apple TV or Apple Music.
With display screen sharing, you possibly can ask for distant entry to a tool, which is beneficial for serving to troubleshoot tech issues.
Each individuals must be utilizing a tool with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe to make use of display screen sharing and SharePlay with the Cellphone app.
eSIM Enhancements
If you want to switch an eSIM to Android or an Android eSIM to an iPhone, the method has been streamlined in iOS 26. Within the iPhone’s mobile settings, there’s a “Switch to Android” possibility for an current SIM, in addition to an choice to “Switch From Android” when including a brand new SIM to an iPhone.
Cellphone App for iPad and Mac
The Cellphone app has expanded to the iPad in iPadOS 26 and the Mac in macOS Tahoe. All the options like Name Screening, Maintain Help, and Dwell Translation additionally work on the iPad and the Mac.
To make use of the Cellphone app on iPad or Mac, you do want an iPhone on the identical Apple Account, and you want to activate Wi-Fi Calling in order that calls might be accepted on different gadgets.
Learn Extra
Extra on the options which might be obtainable in iOS 26 might be found in our iOS 26 roundup.