iOS 26 marks a significant leap forward for Apple's mobile operating system, introducing a completely redesigned user interface with "Liquid Glass" and a host of essential updates designed to enhance user experience, privacy, and overall device functionality.
The most striking change in iOS 26 is the introduction of the Liquid Glass design language. This new design philosophy aims to unify the look and feel of Apple's ecosystem, bringing a consistent visual experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Liquid Glass features translucent elements that reflect and refract light, creating a sense of depth and dynamism. App icons, menus, and notifications adopt a softer, more rounded appearance, with a subtle sheen that reacts to movement. This gives the interface a fluid, glass-like quality, allowing users to partially see through elements to the content beneath. The design adapts dynamically to different contexts, intelligently adjusting between light and dark environments. While the Liquid Glass design has been praised by some for its modern and clean aesthetic, it has also drawn criticism from users who find the constantly changing colors and shapes distracting, or the animations sluggish on older iPhones.
Beyond the visual overhaul, iOS 26 brings a range of essential updates and new features. The Phone app receives a redesign, offering a streamlined view of contacts, recent calls, and voicemail messages. A new "Hold Assist" feature notifies users when a representative comes on the line, eliminating the need to listen to elevator music. The Messages app gains the ability to filter spam texts and unknown senders, create polls in group chats, and customize chat backgrounds. Live Translation is integrated into Phone, FaceTime, and Messages, enabling real-time communication with people who speak different languages. This feature, however, requires Apple Intelligence, which is only available on iPhone 15 Pro models and newer.
Visual Intelligence receives a significant upgrade in iOS 26. Users can now interact with screenshots and photos in new ways, such as running reverse image searches, starting conversations with the built-in AI, and extracting relevant information like dates to add to Calendar. The update also introduces an intelligent Adaptive Power battery saver, which learns user behavior and automatically adjusts settings to optimize battery life.
Other notable updates in iOS 26 include:
To fully leverage the potential of iOS 26, users should take several proactive steps after installing the update. These include managing software update settings, checking for carrier updates, updating apps, customizing the home screen, and reviewing privacy settings. Users can disable beta updates, enable automatic updates, and resize app icons for improved visibility.
Despite the numerous enhancements, some users may prefer to postpone the update to iOS 26. For those users, Apple has released iOS 18.7, which provides important bug fixes and security updates. However, it is important to note that iOS 26 includes all the security goodness of iOS 18.7, along with the latest performance upgrades and access to the Liquid Glass design.
