What to Expect from the iOS 26 Update: A Fresh Look and Smart Features for Your iPhone
Apple’s iOS 26 update is set to revolutionize your iPhone experience with a complete redesign and a suite of smart new features. If you’ve been wondering what the iOS 26 update includes, this overview will answer your top questions and give you a clear picture of how your phone will change this fall. From the innovative Liquid Glass interface to powerful phone call improvements and group chat upgrades, iOS 26 is designed to make everyday tasks smoother and more intuitive.
iOS 26 Update Brings a Stunning Liquid Glass Redesign
The headline feature of the iOS 26 update is Apple’s brand-new “Liquid Glass” design language. Inspired by the Vision Pro headset’s visionOS, this redesign adds a translucent, glass-like look that reacts dynamically to your movements, making the entire operating system feel more fluid and alive. You’ll notice these changes across apps, buttons, sliders, and even your homescreen’s Control Center. Elements like tab bars will expand and shrink as you scroll, creating a more interactive and visually appealing interface that enhances usability and style.
Improved Messages and Group Chats in iOS 26 Update
Messaging just got a lot more fun and functional with the iOS 26 update. Apple is enhancing group chats by allowing you to customize chat backgrounds, helping personalize your conversations. You can also create polls to easily gather opinions from your friends or family during group decisions. Finally, the long-awaited typing indicators for group messages are here, adding a lively, real-time feel to your chats. These thoughtful improvements are designed to make group communication smoother and more engaging than ever.
New Phone Features Save Time and Add Convenience
Handling phone calls becomes easier with iOS 26. The update introduces a call screening feature and “Hold Assist,” which can automatically wait on a call for you, inspired by Google’s similar tools. There’s also a new unified call layout that merges Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails into a single, convenient view. These features not only save time but also streamline how you manage calls, giving you better control and less hassle when communicating.
Live Translation and Apple Intelligence Make iOS 26 Smarter
A standout feature of the iOS 26 update is live translation during calls. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this tool can translate speech in real-time within the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps—perfect for breaking down language barriers on the fly. Additionally, Apple’s intelligence technology powers new tools like Visual Intelligence for searching and acting on what’s on your screen, Genmoji for creating mixed emoji, and smarter Shortcuts that adapt to your habits. Privacy remains a priority, as all translation and intelligence processing happens directly on your device.
The iOS 26 update promises to deliver a visually stunning, smarter, and more user-friendly iPhone experience. Whether you’re excited about the sleek Liquid Glass design or eager to try live call translation, this software upgrade has something to enhance every aspect of your daily phone use. Keep an eye out for the public beta launching in July and get ready to explore everything iOS 26 offers when it officially arrives this fall.