This is every little thing it’s worthwhile to learn about new Apple options and how one can 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 in the event you’re trying ahead to seeing what’s coming this yr. Want extra of a guided tour? Try our preview of the iOS 26 public beta release, which reveals off the recent residence and lock display screen redesign we have been asking to see for years. Referred to as Liquid Glass, the brand new translucent look will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working programs. The overhaul is certainly one of a number of massive modifications coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which have been showcased through the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9.

After overpromising on AI plans final yr, Apple saved its iOS roadmap centered extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this yr. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Telephone and Messages apps in your iPhone, as an example: Apple execs outlined the power to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a cellphone 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 Pictures 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 studies that Apple is aiming to present Siri a much 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 yr.

With every beta, it looks like 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 last model). Wish to see the complete checklist of latest 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 yr. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, just like automobile mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working programs will probably be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to replicate the yr forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be trustworthy. Out of every little thing introduced at WWDC this yr, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s residence and lock screens have appeared just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (for my part) was the choice so as to add your individual 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, effectively, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You will additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Telephone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless straightforward 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 should proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable of escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. This 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 checklist of latest options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Telephone app redesign: You will lastly be capable of scroll by contacts, latest 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 cellphone so you’ll be able to keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Reside Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the power to have a dialog by way of cellphone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Reside Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which ends up in some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Bored with sorting by what looks like tons of of messages in your group chat? You and your folks will quickly be capable of create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automobile you are taking on a highway journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not acquired 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 will let you seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. As an illustration, in the event 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 comparable ones) on-line.

Pictures tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless annoyed with the Photos changes made last year, you may be comfortable to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections can have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to search out what you are in search of.

FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic: A more recent 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 toddler security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

Which iPhones will be capable of improve to iOS 26?

Just a few 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 will probably be eligible for the iOS 26 update.

• iPhone SE (second era or later)

Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or perhaps 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 by way of the Apple Beta Software Program. In the event you’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 enroll along with your cellphone quantity or electronic mail handle. It is free.

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

A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your major 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 will probably be launched to the general public this fall. It normally is available in September, inside every week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final yr, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.

In the event you’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, this is everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots may very well 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 studies that Apple is contemplating extra exterior LLMs for Siri.

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