The Cellphone app would not typically get numerous 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 choice to make use of the unique iOS 18 structure as effectively. 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 traces within the higher proper nook of the show.
Name Screening
Apple has expanded name screening performance in iOS 26. There’s an choice to ask unknown callers (aka individuals who you do not have saved in your Contacts record) for his or her identify and purpose for calling. When enabled, that is an automatic course of.
The iPhone intercepts an incoming name, and requests the particular person’s identify and a brief purpose for calling. The data is transcribed to textual content and relayed to you, and you’ll determine whether or not to ask for extra data, 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 data, and they’re positioned on maintain whereas you decide on accepting or declining the decision.
To make use of this characteristic, toggle on “Ask Motive for Calling” within the Cellphone part of the Settings app.
Silence Unknown Callers
Relatively than asking for extra data from unknown callers, there may be nonetheless a silence unknown caller choice that may be turned on as a substitute. As in iOS 18, toggling this on silences calls from unsaved numbers, sending them to voicemail mechanically. Calls which can be silenced will present up on the Recents record, and additionally, you will see the voicemail for details about why somebody was calling.
Should you do not wish to use silence unknown callers or the ask purpose 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 record.
Name Filtering
Along with improved name screening, iOS 26 has new name filtering options. There’s an choice to maneuver missed calls and voicemails from unsaved numbers to a devoted Unknown Callers record, hiding them from the primary view.
There’s additionally a toggle to mechanically silence calls which can be marked as spam by a service. In case you have Verizon, for instance, Verizon mechanically marks some numbers as spam, and the iPhone can mechanically ship these calls to voicemail and transfer the calls to the Spam record. This setting will fluctuate by service.
With these choices turned on, you possibly can faucet on the icon within the higher proper of the cellphone 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’ll 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 effectively.
Reporting a voicemail as spam doesn’t block the caller, and that must be finished 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
Should you make a name and are positioned on maintain, there is a characteristic in iOS 26 that may look forward to you so you are able to do different issues. It listens for maintain music taking part in, after which alerts you when an individual comes on the road so you possibly can decide up the decision.
You possibly can activate Maintain Help on any name by putting the decision, then tapping on the “…” button as soon as the decision has related. Your cellphone will ring and you can be alerted to choose up when an individual is on the road. If the iPhone detects maintain music, it could additionally mechanically immediate you to activate Maintain Help.
For the reason that 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 cellphone 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 simply wish to translate from (the language spoken by the particular person you are speaking to) and the language that you simply 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 will see a small discover on the backside of the cellphone app that claims “Translating (Language)” and there might 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 taking place.
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 must have an iPhone or perhaps a smartphone in any respect.
Name Historical past
There’s 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 identify or quantity, after which faucet on the “Name Historical past” choice. From there, you possibly can see each time you have spoken with that particular person, relationship years again.
Sort to Siri
Whereas on a cellphone 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 suitable machine, 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, similar to Apple TV or Apple Music.
With display screen sharing, you possibly can ask for distant entry to a tool, which is helpful for serving to troubleshoot tech issues.
Each individuals have to 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 that you must 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” choice 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. The entire 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 that you must activate Wi-Fi Calling in order that calls could be accepted on different gadgets.
Learn Extra
Extra on the options which can be obtainable in iOS 26 could be present in our iOS 26 roundup.
