iOS 26 is right here! These are the highest 7 options you’ll want to strive first

After months of testing, Apple has launched iOS 26 to the general public, and it’s a serious replace. The brand new model of the iPhone working system includes a new feel and appear with Liquid Glass, which is able to immediately make your iPhone look recent. However that’s not all.

Underneath the hood, there are a bunch of refinements, utilities, and new APIs price exploring. Listed here are the highest belongings you completely ought to strive when you replace your iPhone to iOS 26.

1. Discover the brand new Liquid Glass interface

Probably probably the most notable change in iOS 26 is Liquid Glass, which is what Apple calls its new interface accessible throughout its household of working techniques. Liquid Glass simulates the consequences of glass on the display, bringing far more transparency and brightness to parts corresponding to icons and buttons.

There are cool new animations when opening and shutting apps, flattening the Notification Middle, or unlocking the display. Not solely that, however lots of the buttons and toggles now reply to the way you faucet, maintain, and drag them.

However there are different methods to discover Liquid Glass. Strive customizing your Lock Display screen with one of many new wallpapers. Change up your Residence Display screen with the brand new Clear and Tinted icon choices. Or check out a brand new Lock Display screen structure. Liquid Glass is greater than only a new look, so go begin exploring.

2. Give Visible Intelligence one other look

Apple Intelligence simply bought much more helpful. If in case you have an iPhone 15 Professional or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, there are some new options to check out with iOS 26. As an example, Visible Intelligence now works throughout apps too, so you possibly can seek for something you see in your display.

To do that, take a screenshot after which merely circle something on it to seek for on Google. This allows you to discover the place to purchase a cool outfit you noticed on Instagram, for instance. Visible Intelligence can even detect issues like addresses or dates in screenshots to offer map and calendar ideas.

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And if you wish to go additional, faucet the “Ask” button to summon ChatGPT to seek out extra details about the screenshot.

3. Use ChatGPT to generate pictures

With iOS 26, Apple has taken its partnership with ChatGPT even additional. Customers can now generate pictures based mostly on textual content prompts utilizing Apple’s Picture Playground app. Simply open the app and select ChatGPT below the Type choices. The consequence will seem proper within the Playground app.

Along with ChatGPT help, Apple has added a brand new “Genmoji” type and improved its personal AI fashions, so Picture Playground is now able to creating higher illustrations of what you need.

4. Have some enjoyable with AutoMix 

Should you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you’ll want to strive AutoMix, a brand new characteristic that acts as a DJ in your playlists.

Primarily, AutoMix makes use of synthetic intelligence to combine the transition from one track to a different, leading to a DJ-like expertise. The characteristic adjusts the pace and beats of songs to create distinctive transitions.

You may allow AutoMix by going to Settings > Apps > Music > Music Transitions. Take into account that this characteristic solely works for playlists or songs enjoying in shuffle mode.

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5. Strive a brand new ringtone

It’s been some time since Apple final added new ringtones to the iPhone, however iOS 26 comes with a whopping seven new ringtones so that you can select from.

Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and choose the Ringtone menu. There, faucet the Reflection choice to see a listing of a number of new ringtones, corresponding to Mirrored, Pop, and Buoyant.

6. Change your chat backgrounds

iMessage simply bought extra enjoyable with iOS 26 due to new animated backgrounds. You and your folks can add backgrounds to particular person or group chats, and everybody will see them. 

There are numerous choices to select from, corresponding to shade, sky, water, and aurora. Should you desire, it’s also possible to use a customized photograph because the background and even generate a brand new picture utilizing Picture Playground.

Simply open an iMessage chat and faucet on the dialog particulars. Then go to the Backgrounds menu and decide one of many accessible choices.

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7. Filter undesirable calls

iOS 26 provides new filters for undesirable calls, so that you not should reply unknown numbers to know who’s calling. The system will routinely reply these calls and wait till the caller shares their title and the rationale for the decision, so you possibly can select whether or not or to not reply.

You may allow the brand new characteristic by going to Settings > Apps > Telephone and on the lookout for the Name Filtering part.

Replace at the moment to iOS 26

As you possibly can see, there’s much more to check out in iOS 26 in addition to the brand new Liquid Glass interface. And at the moment’s the day to replace your gadget. Simply go to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace to obtain the replace and set up it in your telephone.

Take into account that iOS 26 requires an iPhone 11 or later, and that some options are restricted to newer fashions. We additionally suggest that you simply again up your telephone to iCloud earlier than continuing with the replace.