Apple debuted its subsequent set of working methods — iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 — at WWDC 2025 in the present day, they usually’re out there for developer beta testing now. Among the many enhancements and upgrades are a number of options that appear, properly, impressed by Android and Put on OS. In some instances, Apple did not even hassle to alter the title of the characteristic they copied from Google and Samsung.
It is all the time satisfying to observe Apple give iPhone customers options that individuals who every day drive the best Android phones have been utilizing for years. If that is proper up your alley, the WWDC 2025 keynote did not disappoint. Apple “borrowed” a number of concepts from fan-favorite Android instruments like Gemini Stay, Circle to Search, and lots of extra. Let’s recap all of the methods iOS 26 and watchOS 26 copied Android 16 and Wear OS 6 at WWDC this yr.
Visible Intelligence appears quite a bit like Gemini Stay and Circle to Search
Visible Intelligence is Apple’s model of Gemini Live with live video streaming, and it is truly out there now with iOS 18. Nonetheless, the characteristic is restricted to digital camera utilization and may’t entry a consumer’s iPhone display. That is altering with iOS 26. Visible Intelligence will be capable to view what’s on a consumer’s iPhone display and take actions on their behalf. It could possibly discover objects on-line or add an occasion to their calendar based mostly the contents of their display.
Sound acquainted? It ought to, as a result of it is precisely what Android already presents with Gemini Stay’s display sharing characteristic and Circle to Search. For properly over a yr, Android customers have been in a position to circle a portion of their display and study extra about it. For months, they have been in a position to share their complete display with Gemini Stay and have a natural-language dialog about it.
The actual kicker is that iPhone customers have been in a position to entry these similar options through the Google Chrome and Gemini apps on iOS. Irrespective of which method you take a look at it, Google was first, and Apple is simply now planning so as to add these capabilities to iPhone with iOS 26.
iMessage backgrounds are clearly WhatsApp-inspired
Inform an iPhone consumer to obtain WhatsApp, and also you would possibly get some pushback. Properly, that is going to get tougher for iOS followers to justify, as a result of iMessage simply stole a well-liked WhatsApp characteristic. With iOS 26, customers can set customized backgrounds for his or her iMessage conversations. The app will even let customers generate customized backgrounds with AI utilizing Picture Playground. To notice, 73% of WhatsApp users are on Android telephones.
In the meantime, WhatsApp has offered chat themes and wallpapers for chats on iOS and Android for years. It is nonetheless higher than what’s provided on iOS 26, as a result of WhatsApp customers can modify the colour of their dialog bubbles in tandem with their backgrounds. iMessage customers nonetheless need to take care of these pesky blue and inexperienced bubbles, no matter which colourful background they select as a part of iOS 26.
So, perhaps WhatsApp wasn’t such a foul messaging app in spite of everything?
Name Screening is a blatant Pixel Name Display ripoff
Generally, Apple would not even attempt to cover the truth that it is copying a helpful Android characteristic. With iOS 26, the corporate is including two “new” instruments for telephone calls: Name Screening and Maintain Help. They will display unknown requires you, making certain you do not waste your time with spam calls or scammers. iOS 26 will even maintain requires you and notify you when it is time so that you can take over once more.
Name Screening is simply Apple’s model of Call Screen on Google Pixel phones, all the way down to the near-identical names. For these conserving monitor at house, Pixels have had this characteristic relationship again to the Pixel 4 in 2019. Hold for Me, a characteristic that does precisely what Maintain Help will do in iOS 26, has been out there on Pixels for almost as lengthy. Apple is sort of actually including options to iOS 26 that Google Pixel customers have had for half a decade.
Liquid Glass is the antithesis of Materials 3 Expressive
Liquid Glass is the brand new design language for Apple’s software program merchandise heading into 2026, together with iOS 26. Nonetheless, Apple wasn’t the primary to introduce a radical new consumer interface for cell working methods this yr. Google did it earlier with Material 3 Expressive, a shiny, daring, and colourful UI for Android 16 designed to fulfill customers the place they’re. The corporate’s research confirmed that Materials 3 Expressive is not simply handsome, it’s also easier to use.
Whereas nobody would mistake iOS 26’s Liquid Glass aesthetic for Android 16’s Materials 3 Expressive look, the timing is attention-grabbing. Apple is attempting to attain the identical factor as Google with its new UI, however the two corporations are simply going about it in utterly alternative ways. Nonetheless, Google will get a little bit of credit score for unveiling its imaginative and prescient for the way forward for cell user-interface design earlier than Apple.
Wrist flick is simply the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7’s Shake to Dismiss
With watchOS 26, Apple is introducing a brand new option to dismiss Apple Watch notifications. Besides, it isn’t truly that new. Samsung presents an analogous instrument on the Galaxy Watch 7 known as Shake to Dismiss. It is technically extra versatile than Apple’s upcoming “wrist flick” instrument, because the Galaxy Watch 7 model can be used to dismiss different issues, like alarms.
Actually, the gestures out there on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 can put its Apple Watch opponents to disgrace. Along with Shake to Dismiss, it’s also possible to twist your wrist twice to say no an incoming telephone name. Whereas the wrist flick will most likely turn out to be useful for Apple Watch customers, it is nothing new for Put on OS customers.
Apple Maps’ Visited Locations is a Google Maps Timeline clone
One other neat characteristic heading to iPhone customers for the primary time is Visited Locations in Apple Maps. It’s going to keep in mind the locations you’ve got visited with end-to-end encryption, utilizing Apple Intelligence to determine habits and every day routes. For example, you may see what number of instances you’ve got visited your favourite restaurant or metropolis.
It sounds attention-grabbing sufficient if you happen to’re an Apple Maps consumer, however Google Maps customers have had this characteristic for years. It is known as Google Maps Timeline on the opposite aspect of the walled backyard, and Google describes it as “a private map that helps you keep in mind routes and journeys you’ve got taken and locations you’ve got been based mostly in your Location Historical past.” On the Android aspect of issues, it really works with Android Auto, too.
Stay Translation solely modified a number of letters from Stay Translate
Lastly, Apple is giving iOS 26 customers the power to translate calls, messages, songs, and extra in real-time. It is such a helpful characteristic that Android customers is perhaps shocked to study it wasn’t already out there on iPhone earlier than WWDC 2025. Google and Samsung each have their very own Stay Translate options, with Galaxy telephones in a position to translate 13 languages in real-time with the Galaxy S24 and newer.
It comes simply after iOS 18 added help for setting Google Translate as your default translation app, which is attention-grabbing timing.
In fact, there are some things Google can be sensible to steal from Apple. iPadOS 26 simply retains getting higher, and at WWDC 2025 it gained macOS-like window administration and productiveness choices. It is unlikely that the best Android tablets will catch as much as the iPad at this price.
Nonetheless, it is all the time price taking a look at which options Apple is simply now including to iOS 26 and watchOS 26, however Android and Put on OS customers have been utilizing for years.
