Your Iphone Is Getting A Major Upgrade - 10 Best Features I Can't Wait To Try In Ios 26

1 week ago

It's that clip of twelvemonth again: iPhone users (and curious Android users, including myself) are presented pinch Apple's latest lineup of features and services astatine WWDC and person to determine if updating to nan latest iOS 26 (rebranded from iOS 19) beta is worthy upgrading to.

Also: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it earlier installing iOS 26)

Looking done nan champion caller features connected iOS 26, 1 point is certain: AI has taken a backseat (less flashy, but still useful), and practicality is backmost successful front. From nan measurement users interact pinch group chats to really they salary pinch their phones, nan upcoming type of nan iPhone package is each astir streamlining regular experiences and giving existing users much reasons to instrumentality to Apple's apps and services.

I've surgery down each nan caller features below, listed successful nary peculiar order, truthful you cognize what to expect, whether you're astir to dive into nan developer beta of iOS 26 aliases are waiting for nan charismatic type to travel later this year.

The large communicative pinch iOS 26 and each nan different operating strategy updates announced astatine WWDC this twelvemonth is nan caller Liquid Glass appearance. Inspired by nan physicality of VisionOS, app icons, settings, and different various personification interface elements now person a translucent, glass-like design.

Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here's everything we cognize astir Apple's awesome UI overhaul astatine WWDC

"Experiences are much expressive and personal, from nan Lock Screen and Home Screen, to caller capabilities crossed Phone and Messages that thief users attraction connected nan connections that matter most," said Craig Federighi, Apple's elder vice president of package engineering.

With nan optical value of solid and nan fluidity that Apple hardware tin achieve, nan caller package creation reacts to really you tap, swipe (with immoderate interfaces minimizing aliases expanding), and moreover clasp your phone. The colors of Liquid Glass respond to nan various colors connected your screen.

To accommodate nan creation change, celebrated app icons for illustration Messages, Phone, and Camera person received ocular updates. More generally, toolbars and tabs person been redesigned into rounded menus alternatively of nan accustomed drop-down lists. This promotes a little intrusive and distracting acquisition erstwhile navigating nan software.

Lastly, building connected nan instauration of iOS 18's icon themes, Liquid Glass introduces a transparent icon finish.

The fastener surface now features a clip and day widget made of Liquid Glass. App icons person besides been designed to beryllium easier to separate and much contrastive pinch nan wallpaper underneath.

A caller move fastener surface widget changes nan timepiece size arsenic you alteration wallpapers, expanding itself if there's much unused existent estate. Spatial scenes tin besides beryllium generated from your fastener surface wallpapers to create much extent and realism arsenic you move your iPhone from broadside to side.

The caller camera app is getting a much streamlined design, pinch video and photograph capturing toggles beforehand and center. A swipe to nan broadside reveals much unsocial shooting modes for illustration spatial recording, while tapping connected nan settings astatine nan apical of nan app reveals aggregate toggles astatine once, specified arsenic FPS and resolution.

Also: Every iPhone exemplary compatible pinch Apple's iOS 26 (and which ones aren't)

Relatedly, nan Photos app has been updated to characteristic abstracted tabs for Library and Collections.

Apple Intelligence will observe erstwhile a canvass makes consciousness successful a group chat thread and propose 1 to thief you make a decision. Users wrong nan group tin still modify nan canvass should they not beryllium satisfied pinch what's been suggested.

Another characteristic that's caller and desperately needed connected iOS: Apple is introducing real-time matter translation. The iPhone will automatically observe and construe incoming matter messages successful non-English languages, truthful that they look successful English erstwhile you position them.

Also: How to nonstop and person Apple's iMessages successful Windows

Conversely, iOS 26 will besides alteration your iPhone to construe outbound messages into your desired language, a characteristic antecedently disposable only connected competing platforms and services.

Group chats are yet getting matter indicators, allowing you to spot who is actively typing. Incoming matter messages will besides person Apple Intelligence-powered screening, pinch spam and messages from chartless senders filtered retired into a dedicated tab.

Lastly, you tin group inheritance photos successful group chats aliases moreover make 1 pinch Apple Intelligence.

iOS 26's Liquid Glass theming is being converted into CarPlay, too, pinch ray and acheronian mode options available. When users person a telephone telephone aliases matter messages, they look arsenic smaller notifications connected nan dashboard to trim distractions.

You tin besides now respond to matter messages pinch Tapbacks aliases entree pinned conversations for a much purposeful personification interface.

Also: Your CarPlay is getting a awesome overhaul connected iOS 26: 3 caller features arriving to your dashboard

Live Activities tin besides beryllium displayed beside your Maps navigation, truthful you tin enactment up to day pinch formation timers, deliveries, and more.

CarPlay Ultra will besides person this creation overhaul, though nan package remains constricted to prime premium models.

The Phone app is getting an Apple Intelligence makeover, pinch voicemail summaries appearing successful nan main screen, alongside nan caller unified layout -- your Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails will each look connected nan aforesaid page now.

Also: Apple's concealed condiment is precisely what AI is missing

Call Screening automatically screens and responds to chartless calls. Once nan caller responds, you tin publication their consequence and determine whether to prime up nan call. While nan characteristic has existed connected Android devices for years now, we'll person to spot if Apple's mentation is immoderate much reliable.

The caller Hold Assist characteristic is basal erstwhile you've been put connected clasp by a unrecorded supplier and want to beryllium notified erstwhile they've returned to nan call. Now, alternatively of leaving nan accustomed elevator euphony connected speaker, nan iPhone will alert you erstwhile it's clip to resume nan call, truthful you don't person to hold connected nan line.

The iPhone will now study your preferred navigations and recreation paths to prioritize those. If location are alternate routes available, you'll now person a notification arsenic you're driving. You tin besides alteration your iPhone to way your visited locations. The accusation is end-to-end encrypted and tin easy beryllium removed pinch a swipe.

Apple Wallet is besides becoming much tin crossed nan board, from really you salary to really to entree accusation astir your purchases.

For example, you tin now shop a integer type of your passport, which doesn't needfully switch your beingness passport but will beryllium adjuvant erstwhile you request to verify your property aliases personality astatine TSA checkpoints.

Also: How to usage Apple Pay successful stores and online (and why you should)

On your integer boarding pass, you'll besides beryllium capable to pat into Maps for a 3D position of your terminal and airdrome level plan.

The Apple Pay terminal now displays respective ways to acquisition a product, including installments and rewards points based connected your in installments card.

Wallet now uses merchant and transportation emails to summarize search specifications astatine a glance.

A caller Apple Games app bundles each nan titles disposable connected your iPhone and done your Arcade subscription, providing speedy entree to various games. There's moreover a conception dedicated to multiplayer games and leaderboards, allowing you to compete pinch your friends and contacts.

According to Apple, these iPhone models tin get iOS 26 erstwhile it becomes wide available: