Your iPhone and iPad will look considerably completely 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 yr. Apple has modified the naming construction of its OS updates and made all of them constant—visionOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26—in order that they’re now tied to the yr after their launch, just like what automotive makers do when debuting new fashions.
The principle spotlight throughout all of Apple’s updates introduced at WWDC 2025 revolves across the new appear and feel of the interface, a design language the corporate calls Liquid Glass. Past that, a number of new options are coming to iOS, from dwell translation options in messages and calls to the flexibility to look something in your iPhone display via Visible Intelligence. The Images app can be getting its tabs again! Extra vital are the updates to iPadOS, which is able to now assist windowed apps which are resizable and could be tiled, bringing it nearer to a desktop computing expertise individuals have been ready for.
We’ll run via the highest new options in each working programs. This is what you want to know.
Is Your iPhone or iPad Appropriate
Yearly, Apple tends to chop off just a few older gadgets from downloading the most recent iOS or iPadOS model. The reason being supposedly on account of {hardware} age (Apple usually helps iPhones and iPads for six to 7 years.)
iPhones from 2019 and newer—the iPhone 11 and up, together with the iPhone SE (2nd Gen)—will assist iOS 26. The iPhones that acquired iOS 18 however are actually lower off from the most recent model are the iPhone XR and iPhone XS sequence from 2018. In case you’re uncertain about your iPhone mannequin, head to Settings > Basic > About and take a look at the mannequin title.
iPads are a little bit extra difficult because the naming scheme fluctuates. Apple just lately retired the “generations” and is now utilizing the chipset to indicate the mannequin. You may work out what mannequin your iPad is by heading right here. The Seventh-gen iPad from 2019 appears to be the one one that won’t obtain the replace in comparison with iPads that acquired iPadOS 18.
- iPad: eighth gen and later, together with A16
- iPad Mini: fifth gen and later, together with A17 Professional
- iPad Air: third gen and later, together with M2 and M3
- iPad Professional 11-inch: 1st gen and later
- iPad Professional 12.9-inch: third gen and later
- iPad Professional: M4
Learn how to Strive iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 Now
Apple has launched the developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 26, however I do not suggest putting in it simply but in your major iPhone; possibly use an older iPhone you’ve mendacity round for those who actually need to strive it out. There are some bugs, and there is all the time a danger of messing up your iPhone on an early model meant for builders.
If you will danger it, be sure to again up your machine. Head to Settings and faucet your title on the prime, then choose iCloud. Faucet on iCloud Backup, toggle it on, and faucet Again Up Now. Learn our Learn how to Again Up Your iPhone or iPad information for different strategies and extra particulars.
Whenever you’re able to replace, be certain that your iPhone is totally charged and linked to Wi-Fi. Then go to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace > Beta Updates and select the iOS 26 developer beta. It will request the replace after which take a while to obtain it. Your iPhone will then robotically restart to put in it, so be sure to put aside a number of minutes for the entire course of. That is it!
Apple’s earlier iOS model was iOS 18 in 2024, however the firm has determined to revamp its naming construction so that each one of its platforms are constant. Meaning iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, tvOS, and watchOS are all on model 26. Why 26? Apple is following the automotive maker’s playbook, naming the replace for the final two digits of the next yr. Most individuals obtain the most recent iPhone OS model in December, although Apple releases it in September; this manner it continues to really feel recent proper as the brand new yr rolls round.
High iOS 26 Options
Let’s check out the highest new options in iOS 26. You may learn extra about it instantly from Apple right here.
Liquid Glass and Lock Display Modifications
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’s totally very like the Home windows Aero theme from the Microsoft Vista days in 2006. The interface acts like glass, so flattening the lock display feels such as you’re shifting 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 telephone strikes in your hand. Apple has additionally added some newer animations that really feel bouncy, not not like a few of the new animations in Android 16. There’s supposedly no change in efficiency or battery life to render these results.
You may have the conventional app icons with Liquid Glass, and you may even tint the apps similar to final yr. However there is a new possibility for “Clear” app icons, and the whole lot within the interface switches to that all-glass look.
Over on the lock display, the time now adapts to the photograph, 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 photograph shifts up in order that the notifications do not block them. There’s additionally a brand new strategy to flip 2D photographs right into a 3D impact within the Images app, and you may apply these to the lock display.
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’s going to robotically reply calls from unknown callers within the background with out alerting you. As soon as the caller offers a cause for his or her name, your telephone will ring, however you’ll see the response on the display so you possibly can resolve whether or not you need to reply or not.
Identical to Google’s Maintain for Me characteristic, Apple has a Maintain Help operate that makes staying on maintain extra bearable. In case you’re attempting to achieve an organization however hear the dreaded maintain music, you possibly can flip this characteristic on and will not must pay tremendous shut consideration to your telephone. When the music is over and a dwell agent begins speaking, you will get a notification—helpful if you want to wait greater than half-hour simply to achieve a customer support rep.
These screening features are additionally within the Messages and FaceTime app with an “Unknown Senders” tab. You may approve these numbers and so they’ll present up in your primary Messages view, or mark them as spam. (Some will robotically be screened as Spam.)
The Telephone app additionally has a brand new look, together with your favorites up prime and up to date calls under. You can change to the previous Telephone app person interface via a toggle on the highest proper of the app.
Dwell Translation in Messages, Telephone, and FaceTime
Now you can get dwell translations from Apple’s Messages, Telephone, and FaceTime apps. We have seen related variations of this know-how from Samsung and Google on their respective telephones over the previous few years. Within the Telephone app, you possibly can activate a translation mode, and a voice will translate what the opposite particular person says and vice versa in actual time. (You may 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 depart your iPhone, and so they’ll additionally work whenever you’re speaking with individuals utilizing Android telephones.
In the meanwhile, Dwell 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). Dwell Translation in Messages has barely broader language assist, together with Chinese language (simplified) and Japanese. Since there’s now a Telephone app on iPadOS and MacOS, you possibly can nonetheless reap the benefits of these options for those who reply on these platforms.
Visible Intelligence and the iPhone Display
Visible Intelligence debuted with Apple Intelligence as a strategy to have Siri perceive the world round you thru the iPhone’s digicam. It is now increasing to grasp the context of your iPhone’s display. Very very like Google’s Gemini, Visible Intelligence can determine what’s in your display and counsel particular actions.
In contrast to triggering Visible Intelligence and Siri with the Digicam Management or Motion Button, to set off the on-screen contextual mode, it’s a must to take a screenshot (don’t be concerned, these do not must be saved for those who 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 may counsel a summarization so you will get the highlights.
There’s even a characteristic similar to Google Lens or Google’s Circle to Search, the place you possibly can take a screenshot after which spotlight a particular factor on the web page you need to search by way of Google, or via one other app that is put in in your telephone that helps the characteristic, like Etsy. So you possibly can spotlight a vase, for instance, after which discover related outcomes by way of Google or related 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 flexibility so as to add new background designs for messages to make them extra personalised. In case you’re massive on emojis, you may like the brand new means to combine two emojis collectively by way of 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 assist so you should utilize a cellular controller to maneuver via the person interface.) The app enables you to uncover new video games, see what your folks are taking part in, and a Challenges tab enables you to compete even with single-player video games by way of a leaderboard.
Different Noteworthy Options
There are a number of different options not talked about right here, however listed here are just a few different highlights.
- Images: Apple heard your complaints concerning the Images app and introduced again the Library and Collections tabs on the principle web page of the app.
- Digicam: The Digicam app has a brand new look, with a simplified Picture and Video format that expands whenever you transfer via modes.
- Reminders: You will now see prompt duties, purchasing objects, 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 frequently and gives you a heads up about delays earlier than you permit the home. Additionally, there’s now a Visited Locations part within the app (it’s a must to choose in, and you may select for the way lengthy Maps shops this knowledge, from 3 months to perpetually).
- Apple Music: Within the Music app, there’s now an AutoMix characteristic that can seamlessly mixes one music to the following like a DJ utilizing instruments like time stretching and beatmatching. Additionally, for those who’re taking a look at music lyrics, now you can see translations.
- Pockets: Apple’s Pockets app can create Digital IDs together with your US passport, which can be utilized at TSA checkpoints, in apps, and in particular person. Additionally, your boarding go will now characteristic airport maps, baggage monitoring with Discover My, and sharable Dwell Actions so your family members can simply obtain and see your flight data.
- Picture Playground: There are new ChatGPT kinds to select from when producing photographs in Apple’s picture era app.
- CarPlay: Dwell Actions are actually coming to CarPlay, so you possibly can see the standing of a good friend’s flight as you are in your strategy 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 turn into extremely highly effective over the previous few 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 assist windowing, so you possibly can have a number of apps on the display in several sizes. Simply resize them by dragging a nook of the app and organize them wherever.
There are native window tiling choices—a flick to the left or proper will tile apps to the edges for simpler split-screen, and you may even cut up apps into thirds or quarters. The acquainted visitors mild buttons from macOS are additionally out there now on apps, and for those who 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 for those who change to a full-screen app. There’s now additionally a menu bar you possibly can pull down from the highest in any app, although the out there choices will rely on the app.
Better of all, iPadOS now enables you to deal with extra duties within the background. Beforehand, for those who had been rendering a file in Ultimate Minimize, you’d must maintain it open for the render to finish. Now, that job could be executed within the background, permitting you to change to different apps for a real multitasking desktop expertise.
A Higher Information App
The Information 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 sorts. It’s also possible to customise folders with completely different colours and emojis to make them visually distinct. Talking of, you possibly can put folders within the dock for speedier entry.
Preview App Involves iPad
Apple’s Preview app from macOS is now out there 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.
Different Noteworthy Options
- Telephone: There’s now a devoted Telephone app on iPad. Calls made to your iPhone could be routed so you possibly can reply from the iPad, and you’ll reap the benefits of new options like dwell 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 may make your journal really feel much more private with your individual handwriting.
- Audio recording: There is a new enter chooser that allows you to choose the appropriate microphone for every app, helpful for those who’re connecting exterior mics to the iPad.
- Notes: You may seize conversations from the Telephone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.