The Top New Features in Apple’s iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Leave a comment

Your iPhone and iPad will look considerably totally different when iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 roll out this fall. And no, you haven’t missed seven working system upgrades since iOS 18 final 12 months. Apple has modified the naming construction of its OS updates and made all of them constant—visionOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26—so that they’re now tied to the 12 months after their launch, just like what automobile makers do when debuting new fashions.

The primary spotlight throughout all of Apple’s updates introduced at WWDC 2025 revolves across the new feel and appear of the interface, a design language the corporate calls Liquid Glass. Past that, a number of new options are coming to iOS, from stay translation options in messages and calls to the power to go looking something in your iPhone display screen by Visible Intelligence. The Photographs app can also be getting its tabs again! Extra vital are the updates to iPadOS, which can now help windowed apps which can be resizable and might be tiled, bringing it nearer to a desktop computing expertise individuals have been ready for.

We’ll run by the highest new options in each working techniques. This is what it is advisable know.

High iOS 26 Options

Let’s check out the highest new options in iOS 26. You’ll be able to learn extra about it immediately from Apple right here.

Liquid Glass and Lock Display Adjustments

Apple has a brand new design language for the iPhone, the primary main visible overhaul in years, and it is known as Liquid Glass. It is very very similar to the Home windows Aero theme from the Microsoft Vista days in 2006. The interface acts like glass, so knocking down the lock display screen feels such as you’re transferring a pane of glass, and you may see how the apps work together round it. There are even specular highlights on app icons that shift because the cellphone strikes in your hand. Apple has additionally added some newer animations that really feel bouncy, not not like a number of the new animations in Android 16. There’s supposedly no change in efficiency or battery life to render these results.

You’ll be able to have the traditional app icons with Liquid Glass, and you may even tint the apps similar to final 12 months. However there is a new choice for “Clear” app icons, and every little thing within the interface switches to that all-glass look.

Over on the lock display screen, the time now adapts to the picture, stretching till it goes proper behind the highest of the topic for a depth impact. Additionally, when new notifications are available, the topic in your picture shifts up in order that the notifications do not block them. There’s additionally a brand new technique to flip 2D images right into a 3D impact within the Photographs app, and you may apply these to the lock display screen.

Name Screening and Telephone App Redesign

Taking a web page from Google’s Name Display characteristic on Pixel telephones, Apple has lastly added its personal model in iOS 26. When you allow Name Screening, it will robotically reply calls from unknown callers within the background with out alerting you. As soon as the caller offers a purpose for his or her name, your cellphone will ring, however you’ll see the response on the display screen so you’ll be able to determine whether or not you wish to reply or not.

Identical to Google’s Maintain for Me characteristic, Apple has a Maintain Help perform that makes staying on maintain extra bearable. In case you’re making an attempt to succeed in an organization however hear the dreaded maintain music, you’ll be able to flip this characteristic on and will not need to pay tremendous shut consideration to your cellphone. When the music is over and a stay agent begins speaking, you will get a notification—useful if it is advisable wait greater than half-hour simply to succeed in a customer support rep.

The redesigned cellphone app in iOS 26.

{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu

These screening capabilities are additionally within the Messages and FaceTime app with an “Unknown Senders” tab. You’ll be able to approve these numbers they usually’ll present up in your principal Messages view, or mark them as spam. (Some will robotically be screened as Spam.)

The Telephone app additionally has a brand new look, along with your favorites up high and up to date calls beneath. You can change to the outdated Telephone app consumer interface by a toggle on the highest proper of the app.

Reside Translation in Messages, Telephone, and FaceTime

Now you can get stay translations from Apple’s Messages, Telephone, and FaceTime apps. We have seen comparable variations of this expertise from Samsung and Google on their respective telephones over the previous couple of years. Within the Telephone app, you’ll be able to activate a translation mode, and a voice will translate what the opposite individual says and vice versa in actual time. (You’ll be able to toggle whether or not you want translation each methods or simply for one language.) Over within the Messages app, you will see translated textual content as part of your message bubble when talking with another person, and in FaceTime, you will get real-time translated subtitles. All of those occur on-device, so knowledge would not go away your iPhone, they usually’ll additionally work while you’re speaking with individuals utilizing Android telephones.

Reside Translation is built-in into Messages, FaceTime, and Telephone. It could possibly translate audio in addition to textual content.

Courtesy of Apple

In the meanwhile, Reside Translation in Telephone and FaceTime solely works with one-on-one calls in English (UK and US), French in France, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). Reside Translation in Messages has barely broader language help, together with Chinese language (simplified) and Japanese. Since there’s now a Telephone app on iPadOS and MacOS, you’ll be able to nonetheless make the most of these options should you reply on these platforms.

Visible Intelligence and the iPhone Display

Visible Intelligence debuted with Apple Intelligence as a technique to have Siri perceive the world round you thru the iPhone’s digicam. It is now increasing to know the context of your iPhone’s display screen. Very very similar to Google’s Gemini, Visible Intelligence can establish what’s in your display screen and counsel particular actions.

In contrast to triggering Visible Intelligence and Siri with the Digital camera Management or Motion Button, to set off the on-screen contextual mode, you need to take a screenshot (don’t be concerned, these do not need to be saved should you faucet the X icon on the highest left). In case you take a screenshot of an invite somebody despatched you, for instance, you will see a suggestion so as to add it to your calendar with one faucet. In case you’re taking a look at a PDF, a screenshot would possibly counsel a summarization so you will get the highlights.

Constructing on Apple Intelligence, visible intelligence now extends to a consumer’s iPhone display screen, making it simple to go looking and take motion throughout apps with something they’re viewing.

Courtesy of Apple

There’s even a characteristic similar to Google Lens or Google’s Circle to Search, the place you’ll be able to take a screenshot after which spotlight a particular factor on the web page you wish to search through Google, or by one other app that is put in in your cellphone that helps the characteristic, like Etsy. So you’ll be able to spotlight a vase, for instance, after which discover comparable outcomes through Google or comparable shoppable vases on Etsy.

New Group Message and Emoji Options

Group chats are lastly getting typing indicators and polls (although the latter is unique to iMessage group chats). There’s additionally the power so as to add new background designs for messages to make them extra customized. In case you’re large on emojis, you would possibly like the brand new skill to combine two emojis collectively through Genmoji within the keyboard or in Apple’s Picture Playground app. (It is considerably just like Google’s Emoji Kitchen.)

A New Video games App

There is a new app in iOS 26! The Video games app is now your one-stop store to see all of the video games you’ve got ever purchased on the App Retailer, and you may launch them proper from this app. (There’s even controller help so you should use a cellular controller to maneuver by the consumer interface.) The app permits you to uncover new video games, see what your mates are enjoying, and a Challenges tab permits you to compete even with single-player video games through a leaderboard.

Different Noteworthy Options

There are a number of different options not talked about right here, however listed below are a couple of different highlights.

• Photographs: Apple heard your complaints concerning the Photographs app and introduced again the Library and Collections tabs on the primary web page of the app.
• Digital camera: The Digital camera app has a brand new look, with a simplified Photograph and Video structure that expands while you transfer by modes.
• Reminders: You may now see instructed duties, procuring gadgets, or follow-ups primarily based in your emails and texts in your iPhone, powered by Apple Intelligence. There’s additionally an choice to auto-categorize associated reminders in a listing.
• AirPods Audio and Video Recording: When you’ve got AirPods or AirPods Professional with the H2 chip, you can begin recording a video within the iPhone’s digicam app by urgent and holding on the stem. It’s also possible to file audio in excessive definition within the digicam app with these AirPods.
• Maps: Maps will be taught the routes you journey repeatedly and provides you with a heads up about delays earlier than you allow the home. Additionally, there’s now a Visited Locations part within the app (you need to choose in, and you may select for a way lengthy Maps shops this knowledge, from 3 months to ceaselessly).
• Apple Music: Within the Music app, there’s now an AutoMix characteristic that can seamlessly mixes one tune to the following like a DJ utilizing instruments like time stretching and beatmatching. Additionally, should you’re taking a look at music lyrics, now you can see translations.
• Pockets: Apple’s Pockets app can create Digital IDs along with your US passport, which can be utilized at TSA checkpoints, in apps, and in individual. Additionally, your boarding go will now characteristic airport maps, baggage monitoring with Discover My, and sharable Reside Actions so your family members can simply obtain and see your flight data.
• Picture Playground: There are new ChatGPT types to select from when producing photographs in Apple’s picture technology app.
• CarPlay: Reside Actions are actually coming to CarPlay, so you’ll be able to see the standing of a pal’s flight as you are in your technique to the airport to choose them up. It’s also possible to now react in Messages with Tapback.

The High New iPadOS 26 Options

iPadOS 26 will get lots of the similar options as iOS 26, so I will not repeat issues on this part, however let’s check out particular new capabilities coming to iPads this fall. As all the time, you will get a deeper dive from Apple right here.

Multitasking Enhancements

iPads have change into extremely highly effective over the previous couple of years, however multitasking has been lackluster, making them really feel insufficient as laptop computer replacements. That is altering now with the multitasking adjustments in iPadOS 26. Now, apps help windowing, so you’ll be able to have a number of apps on the display screen in several sizes. Simply resize them by dragging a nook of the app and prepare them wherever.

There are native window tiling choices—a flick to the left or proper will tile apps to the perimeters for simpler split-screen, and you may even break up apps into thirds or quarters. The acquainted visitors mild buttons from macOS are additionally accessible now on apps, and should you press and maintain them, you will see extra choices to rearrange apps with a faucet. Swipe up and maintain and your apps will unfold out in Exposé mode, and you’ll revisit your grouped apps later even should you change to a full-screen app. There’s now additionally a menu bar you’ll be able to pull down from the highest in any app, although the accessible choices will rely on the app.

Better of all, iPadOS now permits you to deal with extra duties within the background. Beforehand, should you had been rendering a file in Closing Minimize, you’d need to hold it open for the render to finish. Now, that activity might be executed within the background, permitting you to modify to different apps for a real multitasking desktop expertise.

A Higher Recordsdata App

The Recordsdata app has a brand new design that gives up extra data at a look. There are resizable columns, collapsible folders, and you may set default apps for opening particular file varieties. It’s also possible to customise folders with totally different colours and emojis to make them visually distinct. Talking of, you’ll be able to put folders within the dock for speedier entry.

The Recordsdata app has sortable, resizable columns.

Courtesy of Apple

Preview App Involves iPad

Apple’s Preview app from macOS is now accessible on iPadOS, permitting you to open, edit, and mark up PDFs or photographs. It really works with the Apple Pencil, making it nice for filling out textual content fields and signing paperwork.

The Preview app works with Apple Pencil.

Courtesy of Apple

Different Noteworthy Options

• Telephone: There’s now a devoted Telephone app on iPad. Calls made to your iPhone might be routed so you’ll be able to reply from the iPad, and you’ll make the most of new options like stay translation and name screening, too.
• Journal: The Journal app, initially an iPhone-exclusive app, is now on iPadOS. It now helps the Apple Pencil, so you can also make your journal really feel much more private with your personal handwriting.
• Audio recording: There is a new enter chooser that permits you to decide the fitting microphone for every app, useful should you’re connecting exterior mics to the iPad.
• Notes: You’ll be able to seize conversations from the Telephone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.