iOS 26 brings a significant visual transformation with the Liquid Glass interface, first seen at WWDC 2025. This unified design is intended to provide a consistent user experience across Apple devices, regardless of which device is being used. Users will notice changes to existing wallpapers, with the primary subject of the wallpaper appearing to ‘pop’ from the background. Application icons are also framed by soft borders. Locking the phone displays translucent menus when app icons are pressed, and all app icons share this translucent quality. The Control Center also features a translucent design, with the use of translucency helping users differentiate functions.
Apple Intelligence updates, while present, are not the primary focus of this update. iOS 26 does include new AI features, provided your phone is compatible. Shortcuts integrates AI automations, and the Image Playground now allows changes to facial expressions within animations, plus ChatGPT integration. Genmoji allows users to combine and customize emojis. Visual Intelligence enhancements extend to screenshots, enabling searches, calendar events, text translation, and direct interaction with ChatGPT.
Additional features include: translation features to Phone calls, FaceTime (not tested), and Messages for iPhone 15 Pro or later; call screening to reduce robocalls; Hold Assist to manage calls on hold; Messages app updates with polls and spam filtering; enhanced Photos app with improved navigation and more event info; new apps like Preview and Games; and improvements to existing apps such as Music, Reminders, Maps, CarPlay, and AirPods.