Apple’s iOS 26 plans, briefly
The brand new iOS replace is named iOS 26, not iOS 19
Huge redesign with Liquid Glass impact
New Gaming app
Cellphone app brings name dealing with and dwell translations
Apple revealed its plans for its subsequent iOS replace on the WWDC keynote on June 9, 2025. The corporate additionally confirmed off new options for the subsequent iPadOS replace, macOS Tahoe, watchOS and extra on the occasion.
As per the rumors, the upcoming iOS can be often called iOS 26 somewhat than iOS 19, with Apple breaking with custom and switching to an easier naming conference that pertains to the 12 months somewhat than a sequential quantity. Apple is taking the chance to convey consistency to the way in which it names all of the working methods, a transfer we at Macworld are celebrating.
As anticipated, Apple has additionally given all its working methods a significant design overhaul, with iOS benefiting from a brand new design language that makes use of what Apple refers to as Liquid Glass as a result of it provides every thing a shiny fluidity. This design extends to the dock and widgets. Apple can also be making the entire interface extra intuitive, with adjustments designed to raise the most well-liked options in addition to enable you to discover new ones.
The redesign isn’t the one change coming to iOS later in 2025. There are additionally adjustments coming to iPhone apps, together with the Cellphone app itself, the Digital camera, FaceTime, Messages and a model new Video games app. You’ll find out extra about these options under. We additionally share which iPhones are anticipated to be appropriate with iOS 26, and which iPhones aren’t supported.
The total model of iOS 26 received’t launch till September – you could find out in regards to the iOS 26 launch date under. However you don’t have to attend till then: Apple runs a beta, so builders and those that need to join the general public beta can strive the brand new options out. Learn on for details about the beta program, together with the anticipated launch date for the Public Beta and any developments within the beta testing program
Keep tuned to this recurrently up to date superguide for every thing it’s essential to know in regards to the upcoming iOS replace, the most recent model of the beta and all the brand new options which might be coming.
Apple
iOS 26 Launch date
Date TBC: 15 September, 2025 predicted
iOS 26 isn’t out but, not less than not for most of the people. It should doubtless be accessible to obtain in September. iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS and the opposite updates will in all probability be accessible to obtain on the identical time. It will doubtless occur shortly after the September occasion and the launch of the iPhone 17 and new Apple Watches.
iOS 26 Beta launch date: How one can get iOS 26 early
Developer beta: June 9, 2025, June 13 replace.
Public beta TBC: July 15, 2025 estimated
You received’t have to attend till the total launch to strive the brand new software program out. Apple runs a developer beta and a public beta for many who need to check out the brand new options earlier than they’re launched to most of the people. Each betas are free, although the developer beta requires a free registration as a developer.
The primary model of the iOS developer beta was launched following the WWDC keynote, so builders might instantly start testing it with their merchandise. This beta just isn’t steady and there have been stories of points from those that put in it right away. Apple up to date the primary developer beta just a few days after the launch.
Apple will even launch a public beta. This often arrives in July, a couple of month after the primary developer beta. In 2024 it arrived on July 15, so we anticipate an analogous launch in 2025.
Between WWDC and the official launch within the fall, Apple will launch a string of beta releases, sometimes eight or so in complete. We now have a separate article that particulars find out how to be part of Apple’s beta software program program so you may check the brand new software program as quickly because the beta arrives.
Anybody utilizing the beta is inspired to file bug stories utilizing the included Apple’s Suggestions Assistant app in order that the corporate can tackle them. If you wish to study extra in regards to the beta learn: What’s within the newest iOS beta and find out how to get it. And be sure you learn why we advise towards putting in the iOS beta.
iOS 26 supported units: Which iPhones get iOS 26
Free software program replace for iPhone 11 and later
The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26
The next iPhones will get iOS 26:
iPhone 16e (2025)
iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Professional/16 Professional Max (2024)
iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Professional/15 Professional Max (2023)
iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Professional/14 Professional Max (2022)
iPhone SE (third gen) (2022)
iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Professional/13 Professional Max (2021)
iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Professional/12 Professional Max (2020)
iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020)
iPhone 11/11 Professional/11 Professional Max (2019)
When Apple updates the working system for its units it typically signifies that sure fashions usually are not appropriate with the replace. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which had been supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26.
This doesn’t imply that these 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will proceed to situation security-related software program updates to iOS 18 for just a few extra years. Examine how lengthy iPhones are supported to search out out which iPhones are not supported with safety updates.
Nor does this imply that each one the supported iPhones get all the brand new options. As was the case in 2024, solely sure iPhones can assist Apple Intelligence powered options. That’s the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max and the entire of the iPhone 16 vary. Which means that in case your telephone isn’t a kind of talked about you miss out on options such because the Visible Intelligence and Genmoji updates, in addition to the Cellphone app skill to handle your undesirable calls.
Learn the way the brand new iOS compares with the present model in our comparability of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s totally different, what’s new, and do you have to replace?
iOS 26 design: Liquid Glass and different design adjustments
Apple
Throughout the WWDC keynote Apple previewed the brand new iPhone options coming later in 2025. The most important change is a visible one: a daring new redesign referred to as Liquid Glass.
This represents the largest change to iOS since iOS 7 was launched in 2013. Again then Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time the interface can be extra curved with plenty of translucent parts.
There are additionally adjustments coming that may simplify app interfaces and make the content material extra seen.
What’s Liquid Glass?
The adjustments coming in iOS 26 had been rumoured to be “Slicker and extra fashionable” with Apple mentioned to be adopting parts from visionOS. The brand new design lives as much as these expectations. It’s primarily based on a graphical consumer interface that Apple is looking Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent impact that mimics the qualities of glass.
Apple says that it’ll really feel extra like interacting with the bodily world, with parts being be extra curved and fewer flat and dynamically reacting to your contact.
Apple says the adjustments blur the strains between {hardware} and software program. In reality, based on Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is designing a twentieth anniversary iPhone with curved glass on all sides that would be the ultimate showcase for Liquid Glass.
This new Liquid Glass design extends to all of Apple’s merchandise and to all of Apple’s apps. You’ll see the impact on the Dock, widgets and icons. Panes, home windows, buttons and menus can be introduced as translucent layers with specular highlights.
The Liquid Glass parts will change shade to mirror the content material beneath as you scroll and it will likely be potential to see blurred and refracted parts of the background by way of the highest layer. This final level has result in some concern about readability, with the seen backgrounds affecting readability of textual content, for instance.
Interface adjustments
Apple
Apple is designing the interface to present a clearer view of what’s under the instruments and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to disclose the content material under. Apple can also be eradicating a few of the litter from menus to simplify issues and emphasise the extra ceaselessly used choices. For instance, somewhat than occupying an oblong bar on the backside of the display, teams of controls will seem on floating parts that come out further controls, change as you progress between views, and are tucked away if you scroll.
These adjustments to the menus are designed to make it simpler to entry the options you employ most frequently, and uncover others. Apple is attempting to make iOS and its apps extra intuitive.
A great instance of how these design adjustments can be utilized is the Lock Display screen, which can be extra adaptive. The picture you select as your wallpaper can be scaled to suit the peak and width of the Lock Display screen and positioned to fill the accessible house round parts just like the time. Moreover, the wallpaper picture will slide up as notifications are available in.
We’ll focus on the adjustments coming to particular person apps under, however basically Apple is making it simpler to search out the instruments you often use, with out the litter of all the opposite options you don’t want.
iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence
Apple has been having bother with a few of it’s AI efforts, particularly the Siri options that had been touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would convey a significant replace to Siri, the place it will be higher at pure conversations with the consumer, utilizing private context, consciousness of what’s on display, and the power to carry out in-app actions.
Apple has confirmed that these Siri-related options have been pushed again till 2026, which suggests they need to come as an replace to iOS 26, maybe in March, however we might be ready even longer.
Apple nonetheless had various spectacular Apple Intelligence powered options to indicate off at WWDC although. In reality, a few of the new options coming to Highlight on the Mac seem like a few of the options promised for Siri.
A few of these new Apple Intelligence options will make a big effect in apps, particularly the Cellphone app, which we are going to focus on under. One other beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visible Intelligence, which was launched in iOS 18 and positive aspects a really helpful skill in iOS 26.
Visible Intelligence in iOS 26
Visible Intelligence in iOS 26.
IDG
In iOS 18 you should use Visible Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view one thing you had been interested by, triggering Visible Intelligence (through the Digital camera Management button you probably have one, or through the Management Centre if not) and viewing details about what you had been pointing the digital camera at. It might establish a constructing, or supply so as to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for instance. That’s all very properly when you find yourself out and about, however what about when you find yourself simply looking the net and need to know the place one thing somebody is carrying is from or the place a video is being filmed?
In iOS 26 it will likely be potential take a screenshot and lookup details about that picture and merchandise in it utilizing Visible Intelligence. You too can ask ChatGPT for details about the screenshot.
Genmoji and Picture Playground in iOS 26
Apple
Additionally benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, one other function that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji enables you to create customized emoji utilizing AI. To create a Genmoji you kind an outline within the Describe an Emoji subject and faucet on Create New Emoji. You should utilize pictures of individuals you realize as a foundation and refine the emoji till it represents what you’re in search of. The emoji will then be accessible in your emoji keyboard to make use of.
In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface is getting a redesign. Customers will be capable of combine two emoji collectively, or alter an present emoji to create one thing new, and even mix an emoji and a Sticker (which might be created from a photograph). Customers will be capable of additional customise emoji inside Picture Playground, altering expressions.
Picture Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated photographs, arrived in iOS 18 and is getting an replace in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will likely be potential to make use of ChatGTP kinds, reminiscent of an oil portray in addition to these offered by Apple to create photographs in Picture Playground.
iOS 26 new apps and up to date apps
New Cellphone app capabilities
Translation
Digital camera app overhaul
With every iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple supplies grows and evolves, and lots of the adjustments coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those self same apps on Apple’s different units. iOS 26 isn’t any totally different.
This time a few of the upcoming adjustments are going to be fairly transformative to how you employ the telephone – and by which we imply the phone side to the iPhone.
Cellphone app
The telephone app won’t be the one we use probably the most, however as Apple says, it’s basic to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the telephone app is getting a giant replace that basically turns it right into a PA.
Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to convey new Voice Mail summaries to floor an important data, however much more thrilling, it’s aiming to get rid of undesirable calls with a brand new Name Screening possibility that may reply the decision within the background, ask the caller to elucidate their cause for calling, after which present a textual content abstract of these particulars to you earlier than you determine whether or not or to not take the decision. After all this may occasionally make it more durable to disregard calls from individuals you ought to really converse to, however it will likely be a great way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers.
That’s not all. One other new function is Maintain Help, which can robotically detect maintain music and mute the decision till it’s related to an agent. Because of this you may get issues accomplished with out having to maintain your telephone speaker enjoying irritating maintain music till somebody solutions. When an agent turns into free they are going to be knowledgeable that you’re there and your telephone will ring alerting you to the connection and you may take the decision. It’s going to be like having your personal receptionist.
One other change within the Cellphone app ought to make it inconceivable to by accident faucet on contact within the Recents record and name them. At present, in the event you faucet on a reputation in your Recents record it would robotically name that individual. A brand new setting will will let you flip off “Faucet Recents to Name”.
Dwell Translations
Additionally coming to the Cellphone app, but in addition current as a options in Messages and FaceTime, is Dwell Translations, which can enable you to talk with somebody who speaks one other language.
With this function it is possible for you to to have a dialog with some who speaks a distinct language to you. If you’re accustomed to the Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy that is virtually on the degree of getting a Bable Fish.
If you’re chatting with some through the telephone app the iPhone will translate what it being mentioned, with a spoken voice translating what has been mentioned into your language. The recipient will even hear translations in their very own language. Apparently they don’t must have an iPhone. The principle restriction proper now could be that Dwell Translation for Cellphone is out there just for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
As we mentioned above, it’s not solely the Cellphone app that may get the Dwell Translation options. FaceTime and Messages will as properly. And Translation can also be discovering its means into the Music app.
FaceTime
When chatting with somebody through FaceTime you will notice real-time captions in your personal language. Dwell Captions aren’t fully new to FaceTime, you may already activate that performance in Accessibility > Dwell Captions – though this solely works in case your language is about to English U.S.
In addition to the brand new Dwell Translation function, FaceTime additionally will get adjustments to the interface designed to floor the controls you want whereas maintaining the caller seen. For instance, controls float to the underside proper and recede if you don’t want them.
The FaceTime name record additionally will get a brand new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll.
Messages
Apple
If you’re utilizing Messages to speak with somebody who speaks a distinct language what you kind is translated into their language and vice versa.
As with the telephone, Messages is getting a screening instrument to fight spam. On-device spam detection provides you with “complete management over who seems in your dialog record,” based on Apple.
It’s already potential to filter out spam through the use of the Unknown Senders record in Messages, however in iOS 26 Messages can have a higher skill to display for spam, and it’ll be sure you nonetheless obtain verification codes and different vital or time delicate messages.
Additionally in Messages it is possible for you to so as to add a background picture to Group Chats and a brand new choice to create a ballot can be accessible. Messages will even counsel a ballot if a state of affairs requires one. Anybody can add choices to the ballot, as properly.
Those that have entry to Apple Money (nonetheless U.S. solely) can even entry this from group chats.
Apple
Music
In Apple Music it is possible for you to to comply with the lyrics alongside the interpretation into your personal language. For some languages you’ll even see a pronunciation information.
Additionally coming to the Music app is a brand new auto-mix possibility that makes use of AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would.
There may be additionally a brand new animated Apple Music paintings possibility for the Lock Display screen.
Interface adjustments must also imply it’s sooner and simpler to get to the music you’re in to. For instance, you may pin your favorite album or playlist to the highest of your library.
Apple
Video games
Apple is lastly tidying up the gaming expertise on the iPhone with a model new Video games app. With half a billion individuals enjoying video games on iPad, based on Apple, it’s about time.
Apple says it’s creating a brand new vacation spot to assist its avid gamers get extra out of their video games. The Video games app will supply numerous tabs to make discovering the video games you’re enjoying or have performed simpler. The Dwelling tab reveals what’s most related to you. The Library tab exhibits all of the video games you’ve gotten ever downloaded.
There may be additionally a Play Collectively tab the place you may see what your folks are enjoying, play video games with them, evaluate scores, and invite them to play video games. You too can problem them to beat your highest rating in single participant video games. Turning single participant video games into enjoyable competitions with buddies, with scores in actual time.
Apple
One other change coming to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a brand new consistency to hoe contact controls are utilized in video games. Builders engaged on an iPhone or iPad recreation that requires extra superior controls have at all times needed to design their very own contact controls, and this may be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will supplies its personal contact controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads.
Apple Pockets
Like Apple Money lots of the new Apple Pockets options are U.S. solely, reminiscent of the power so as to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Pockets.
Apple says there can be extra methods to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for instance you may redeem factors or select to pay in instalments. That function is presently accessible in 9 states. From the autumn Apple says it will likely be potential so as to add a U.S. passport, however just for use for flights contained in the U.S.
There can be a brand new API for builders to benefit from, enabling them to offer clients with extra data throughout the Pockets app, reminiscent of particulars of the companies included with the fare and improve choices that may be accessed from throughout the Pockets app.
You too can observe Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence discovering the order particulars and monitoring data and maintaining them collectively for you.
Passwords & Autofill
The Passwords app, launched in iOS 18, can also be getting an replace. You may examine adjustments that you just’ve made to accounts logged within the Passwords app, view earlier passwords that had been used for these accounts and see once they had been altered.
As well as, iOS 26, Apple is introducing enhancements that may make utilizing passkeys simpler. Passkeys is an authentication technique that replaces conventional passwords with safety keys and biometrics. Many apps and web sites already present assist for passkeys, and with the iOS 26 replace, it will likely be potential for iPhone and iPad apps to allow customers to create a passkey with only a faucet. Passkeys might be authenticated with Face ID or Contact ID, and credentials can be synchronized between your Apple units through iCloud.
It should even be potential to pre-fill private information, reminiscent of title and e mail, so that you not must waste time filling in lengthy sign-up kinds. Even higher, iOS 26 will be capable of autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill might also work in Google Chrome, presently verification codes solely work with Apple’s Safari browser.
Maps
Apple
The Maps app additionally will get an replace, utilizing Apple Intelligence to grasp your common commutes and study your favourites. With this data it will likely be capable of warn you in the event you ought to take a distinct route attributable to visitors.
One other change to Maps is that if you would like it to it will possibly log Visited Locations, which can make it simpler to search out and recall locations you’ve gotten been to prior to now. It’s simple to delete this historical past too.
Reminders
In iOS 26, Reminders will counsel issues reminiscent of duties and grocery gadgets, plus follow-ups primarily based in your emails or different textual content in your iPhone, Mac, and extra.
Clock
You’ll lastly be capable of set a sleep period of between one and quarter-hour, somewhat than being caught with set eight minute snoozes!
Additionally, you will achieve the power to set alarms from inside different apps. For instance, you can set an alarm from inside a recipe app with out you needing to open the Clock.
Different new options in iOS 26
There are many different adjustments coming to iOS itself, lots of which can enhance the general expertise.
Operating duties within the background
iOS 26 can have a brand new API for operating duties within the background. So that you received’t must hold an app open once they’re doing one thing necessary, reminiscent of importing information or exporting a video. Customers can swap to different apps with out interrupting the earlier activity.
AI-powered battery administration
A brand new adaptive low energy mode has been noticed within the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t exchange the common low energy mode (that’s nonetheless round) however as an alternative makes use of machine studying to make changes that might assist eke out just a little extra juice out of your battery.
As well as, the Lock Display screen will now show estimated charging occasions to hit 80 p.c and one hundred pc battery energy.
