Here is every little thing you could learn about new Apple options and the right way to get it in your iPhone

Cannot wait till the autumn to entry all the brand new Apple iOS 26 options? You may formally download and install the public beta should you’re wanting ahead to seeing what’s coming this 12 months. Want extra of a guided tour? Take a look at our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release, which exhibits off the contemporary residence and lock display screen redesign we have been asking to see for years. Known as Liquid Glass, the brand new translucent look will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working methods. The overhaul is one among a number of huge modifications coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which had been showcased throughout the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9.

After overpromising on AI plans final 12 months, Apple saved its iOS roadmap centered extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this 12 months. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Cellphone and Messages apps in your iPhone, as an illustration: Apple execs outlined the power to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a telephone name once you’ve been ready for a consultant to choose up. Plus, a treasured characteristic that we took with no consideration is coming again (trace: it is within the Photographs app).

Siri, in the meantime, is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level “in the coming year,” so that you should not anticipate any main modifications within the present betas. However there are experiences that Apple is aiming to present Siri an even bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal 12 months.

With every beta, it looks as if extra new enhancements are popping up, like a newly found FaceTime characteristic that’ll freeze your video if it detects nudity. Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to download iOS 26 (each the betas and remaining model). Wish to see the complete record of recent options coming this fall? Learn on.

What’s iOS 26?

Whereas the present iPhone working system is iOS 18, Apple is skipping the numbering forward to iOS 26 later this 12 months. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, just like automotive mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working methods shall be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to replicate the 12 months forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be sincere. Out of every little thing introduced at WWDC this 12 months, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s residence and lock screens have regarded just about the identical 12 months after 12 months — the final thrilling factor (for my part) was the choice so as to add your personal aesthetic to your private home display screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens’ new facelift is refreshing.

So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a “new translucent material” since, nicely, the apps and widgets are clear. Nonetheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You may additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Cellphone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless simple to see. Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget’s personal Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new course, even when it is considerably harking back to Microsoft’s translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from practically twenty years in the past.

That mentioned, as of the discharge of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing again the transparency in not less than some locations. And whereas it’ll proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not have the ability to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. Here is a have a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.

What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?

iOS 26 has a laundry record of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Cellphone app redesign: You may lastly have the ability to scroll by means of contacts, current calls and voicemail messages all on one display screen. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic referred to as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the telephone so you’ll be able to keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Dwell Translation in Cellphone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the power to have a dialog through telephone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Dwell Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which leads to some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Uninterested in sorting by means of what looks as if a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your pals will quickly have the ability to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you are taking on a street journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not obtained spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.

Visible Intelligence: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will permit you to seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. For example, should you spot a pair of footwear somebody is carrying in an Instagram picture, you’ll be able to screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to search out these footwear (or related ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless pissed off with the Photos changes made last year, you may be glad to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections could have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to search out what you are on the lookout for.

FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic: A more moderen addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime “Communication Safety” feature that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a baby security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

Which iPhones will have the ability to improve to iOS 26?

A number of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — will not be suitable with the most recent improve. However any iPhones launched in 2019 or later shall be eligible for the iOS 26 update.

Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or possibly iPhone 26?) which are all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.

Easy methods to set up iOS 26 beta

The iOS 26 public beta is now out there to obtain through the Apple Beta Software Program. For those who’re not already a member, you may want to enroll to check out all the most recent options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and join along with your telephone quantity or electronic mail handle. It is free.

When you’re in, you’ll be able to set up it by going to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and choosing iOS 26 public beta.

A phrase of warning: Do not join along with your important iPhone until you are OK with any dangers that happen with utilizing an OS that is not finalized.

When will the ultimate model of iOS 26 be launched?

iOS 26 shall be launched to the general public this fall. It often is available in September, inside every week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final 12 months, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.

For those who’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, here is everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more throughout WWDC. Additionally, take a look at how iOS 26 screenshots might be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.

Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now out there.

Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.

Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and experiences that Apple is contemplating extra exterior LLMs for Siri.

Replace, June 25: Famous modifications added in iOS 26 beta 2.

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