iOS 26 officially shown off with radical redesign and plenty of new features
As foretold by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has radically switched up how it names software updates. Everything has been numbered 26 now, including iOS 26. The update brings forth a major visual redesign that is consistent with Apple's new Liquid Glass aesthetic. There's plenty to look forward to in this update, although many might (rightfully) argue many of these features aren't exactly new and have been around on Android for a while.
The first apparent improvements with iOS 26 come with the lock screen, which now supports 3D wallpapers and dynamically adjust elements based on the content displayed on screen. Then, the Phone app finally got a much-needed redesign and some new features to go with it. Call Screening is now, possible, which harnesses the power of AI to answer calls for you. Google Pixel phones have had this for a while, and it is good to see iOS finally get it.
Another notable iOS 26 feature is Live Translation. It works across all apps, including iMessage. It can even translate text in real-time when you're on phone calls. Even song lyrics in the Music app get translated as they play. Apple Music also gets a mixer-like feature that seamlessly transitions between two tracks. iMessage finally catches up with behemoths like WhatsApp and Telegram with themes for individual chats and 'typing' indicators.
Other than that, iMessage also lets you filter spam texts automatically. Texts from unknown senders will not show up in your notifications unless specified otherwise. And you can create polls, too. Apple Maps now lists the places you've been to previously been, similar to Google Maps. Apple tears yet another page from Google's playbook with Apple Games—a unified place that shows all your games.
The iOS 26 developer beta can be downloaded now on the iPhone 11 and newer devices. Features that leverage Apple Intelligence can only work on the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max and newer devices. A public iOS 26 beta will be launched in July, with a stable release to follow shorty after.
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