Yearly, iOS is among the star sights of Apple‘s Worldwide Builders Convention keynote. It is our first official have a look at new options and different modifications which might be coming to iPhones within the fall. The 2025 WWDC keynote was no exception, and the most immediate change is to the iOS naming system.
As was recently reported, Apple working techniques will all be named after years to maintain the whole lot aligned. So as a substitute of iOS 19, we’re leaping as much as iOS 26. The identical goes for iPadOS, watchOS, macOS and so forth. The variations will likely be named for the 12 months after main annual OS updates (so iOS 26 for the model that arrives in fall 2025 and so forth), but it surely ought to nonetheless assist mitigate some confusion as to which is the present model.
There’s much more to this model of iOS than a change to the numbering system, so let’s dig proper in.
A serious redesign
Past the naming system, the largest change this 12 months is a major visual overhaul throughout Apple’s working techniques. These responsive, translucent consumer interfaces are impressed by the look of visionOS, the OS that powers Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. It has been over a decade for the reason that final main change to the look of the iPhone consumer interface. With iOS 7, which debuted in 2013, Apple jettisoned its skeuomorphic design language for a flatter, extra simplified look.
It was reported over the weekend that Apple’s new consumer interface design language could be constructed round an idea referred to as Liquid Glass, and that turned out to be lifeless on. There’s a bigger give attention to components like gentle and transparency right here.
App icons and buttons have new appears, whereas toolbars and tab bars can have a see-through look. Apple can also be making use of pop-out menus that’ll provide fast entry to sure choices — that jogs my memory a little bit of the “peek and pop” 3D Contact features Apple launched to the iPhone a decade in the past.
Widgets aren’t going anyplace, although they’re getting a brand new look to match the remainder of the design updates. On the lock display screen, the clock font can change measurement dynamically, so it will possibly shrink as alerts are available.
CarPlay is among the many different consumer interfaces that is getting this visible redesign. It’ll function a extra compact view for incoming calls so the show does not obfuscate instructions. Tapbacks (i.e. emoji responses) and pinned conversations are coming to Messages in CarPlay, and widgets and Dwell Actions may be mirrored on the infotainment system. These updates will likely be current in CarPlay Ultra too.
Core app updates
Apple is giving a number of core apps notable updates in iOS 26. Within the Telephone app, it is pulling collectively your latest calls and voicemails right into a single tab, along with your favourite contacts above these. You can see Apple Intelligence summaries of voicemail transcripts.
A name screening device can mechanically reply calls from unknown numbers as nicely. You can see in your iPhone display screen who is looking and why, so you’ll be able to resolve whether or not to reply. On the opposite aspect of that, a Maintain Help function can let you recognize when a dwell agent is obtainable, so may by no means should take heed to interminable maintain music ever once more. (Android has had these options for ages, for what it is value.)
On FaceTime calls, you will see that Apple has moved the main controls to the underside proper of the display screen for simpler entry. Safari can have a extra clear deal with bar within the up to date OS, in addition to “superior fingerprinting safety” for all searching by default for additional privateness.
As for the Digicam app, Apple is trying to simplify {that a} bit after including a number of options like slow-motion video and panoramic photographs during the last a number of years. You may change between nonetheless photograph and video choices with a swipe. Tabs are blessedly coming again to the Images app too.
In Messages, you will have the flexibility to set a background picture and create polls (a lot as you’ll be able to in different messaging apps). The backgrounds would be the identical for everybody within the chat, as they’re within the likes of Messenger. It will be potential to ship and obtain Apple Money funds in group chats, which can even be getting typing indicators.
On-device spam detection for Messages is within the pipeline. That is a really welcome replace, although if Apple handles all of that for me, I am going to kinda miss replying to scammers with a rigorously crafted insult earlier than instantly blocking and reporting them. Anyway, you will have the choice to display screen messages from unknown senders and place them in a separate folder out of your common chats, although it ought to nonetheless be straightforward to search out two-factor authentication codes.
As for Pockets, you’ll create a digital ID out of your passport. A refresh of boarding passes will present real-time updates on flights in Dwell Actions, in addition to maps for airport navigation, a fast solution to report missing bags and extra.
Maps will have the ability to be taught most well-liked routes (for issues like making the varsity run earlier than going to work). It will possibly present updates about these realized routes, akin to what the visitors is like. A Google Maps-like location historical past possibility will likely be obtainable as nicely. Apple says that is end-to-end encrypted and it will possibly’t see your knowledge.
There will likely be a brand new core app in iOS 26: Video games. From right here, you’ll view and obtain titles from Apple Arcade and have entry to your library, multiplayer choices (akin to achievements) and extra.
Apple has been making a bit extra of a push into video games over the previous few years between Apple Arcade and getting ports of main video games like Death Stranding and multiple Resident Evil titles for its gadgets. It will be fascinating to see how this works in motion and if there’ll truly be curiosity from avid gamers. In spite of everything, did anybody ever truly use Recreation Middle?
AI options
Apple Intelligence hasn’t exactly been a huge success for the corporate thus far, however there are AI-powered options that appear genuinely helpful coming to iOS 26. Apple is integrating translation instruments extra deeply into the working system, so you could not have to modify over to Translate (or, maybe extra probably, Google Translate) as usually.
Essentially the most impactful side of that will likely be live translation for textual content and audio in telephone calls, FaceTime and Messages, powered by on-device fashions. That could possibly be a large deal for a lot of iPhone customers.
Dwell translation and pronunciation guides for lyrics in Apple Music is cool — I’d lastly have the ability to sing a good model of the Babymetal verse in “Ratatata.” With reference to Apple Music, an AutoMix function will use intelligence to maybe make for smoother, DJ-style transitions between songs via time stretching and beat matching. Transferring album artwork goes to be a factor within the app too.
Since WWDC is an occasion that is largely for builders, information that they’re going to be able to tap into on-device Foundation Models for his or her apps could possibly be a boon. Amongst different issues, they’re going to have the ability to combine dwell translation into their apps.
Apple is taking one other leaf out of the Google playbook with a visible intelligence replace. You can ask ChatGPT questions on what’s displayed in your display screen, and search extra data from supported apps akin to Google and Etsy. Visible intelligence will detect whenever you’re taking a look at an occasion and will counsel including it to your calendar.
The Shortcuts app is getting an replace together with choices powered by Apple Intelligence and devoted actions for the likes of Writing Instruments and Picture Playground. In the meantime, Apple Intelligence will have the ability to decide up and summarize monitoring data from emails associated to your purchases, together with ones that you just did not make with Apple Pay. Apple says this can allow you to see your order particulars and supply progress particulars multi functional place. That is one thing the Store app from Shopify has been helpful for, and now Apple’s trying to deal with that itself.
There are minor AI updates elsewhere, akin to to Genmoji (you will have the choice to mix two current emoji). The upgraded Siri Apple has been speaking about for some time continues to be within the works, and we’ll hear extra about that later this 12 months.
Different updates
Apple is making some modifications to parental controls in iOS 26. The corporate says it’s going to be simpler so that you can create Youngster Accounts and transfer your children into them. Different updates embrace with the ability to grant children exemptions to obtain apps with age scores which might be outdoors of the restrictions that folks set. Apple can even blur “delicate content material” in FaceTime calls and photographs in Shared Albums.
There are a number of new accessibility options too. Accessibility Reader is alleged to supply “a custom-made systemwide studying expertise,” whereas Braille Entry is a brand new interface for iPhone gadgets which have linked braille shows. In the meantime, Apple says it’ll ship a “new stage of accessibility” throughout its ecosystem with updates to Dwell Hear, Background Sounds, Private Voice and different instruments.
You’ll be able to install iOS 26 in case you have an iPhone 11 or later (or a second-gen iPhone SE). Apple Intelligence options will run on iPhone 16 gadgets, Telephone 15 Professional, iPhone 15 Professional Max and future fashions, in addition to appropriate iPads and Macs.
Builders can check out the iOS 26 options beginning right this moment via the Apple Developer Program. Public betas of the new operating systems will likely be obtainable in July. Apple will make iOS 26 and the opposite new working techniques obtainable this fall, probably quickly after its annual iPhone occasion, which usually takes place in September.
