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Apple revealed its plans for its subsequent iOS replace on the WWDC keynote on June 9, 2025. The corporate additionally confirmed off new options for the subsequent iPadOS replace, macOS Tahoe, watchOS and extra on the occasion. 

As per the rumors, the upcoming iOS shall be often called iOS 26 relatively than iOS 19, with Apple breaking with custom and switching to an easier naming conference that pertains to the yr relatively than a sequential quantity. Apple is taking the chance to carry consistency to the best way it names all of the working programs, a transfer we at Macworld are celebrating. 

As anticipated, Apple has additionally given all its working programs a serious design overhaul, with iOS benefiting from a brand new design language that makes use of what Apple refers to as Liquid Glass as a result of it offers all the pieces a shiny fluidity. This design extends to the dock and widgets. Apple can also be making the entire interface extra intuitive, with adjustments designed to raise the preferred options in addition to allow you to discover new ones. 

The redesign isn’t the one change coming to iOS later in 2025. There are additionally adjustments coming to iPhone apps, together with the Cellphone app itself, the Digicam, FaceTime, Messages and a model new Video games app. You will discover out extra about these options beneath. We additionally share which iPhones are anticipated to be suitable with iOS 26, and which iPhones aren’t supported. 

The total model of iOS 26 gained’t launch till September – you could find out in regards to the iOS 26 launch date beneath. However you don’t have to attend till then: Apple runs a beta, so builders and people who need to enroll in the general public beta can strive the brand new options out. Learn on for details about the beta program, together with the anticipated launch date for the Public Beta and any developments within the beta testing program

Keep tuned to this usually up to date superguide for all the pieces that you must know in regards to the upcoming iOS replace, the most recent model of the beta and all the brand new options which are coming.

Apple

iOS 26 Launch date

• Date TBC: 15 September, 2025 predicted

iOS 26 isn’t out but, no less than not for most of the people. It is going to doubtless be accessible to obtain in September. iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS and the opposite updates will in all probability be accessible to obtain on the identical time. This can doubtless occur shortly after the September occasion and the launch of the iPhone 17 and new Apple Watches. 

iOS 26 Beta launch date: Easy methods to get iOS 26 early

• Developer beta: June 9, 2025, June 13 replace.
• Public beta TBC: July 15, 2025 estimated

You gained’t have to attend till the complete launch to strive the brand new software program out. Apple runs a developer beta and a public beta for many who wish to check out the brand new options earlier than they’re launched to most of the people. Each betas are free, although the developer beta requires a free registration as a developer.

The primary model of the iOS developer beta was launched following the WWDC keynote, so builders may instantly start testing it with their merchandise. This beta just isn’t secure and there have been studies of points from those that put in it immediately. Apple up to date the primary developer beta just a few days after the launch.

Apple can even launch a public beta. This normally arrives in July, a couple of month after the primary developer beta. In 2024 it arrived on July 15, so we anticipate an analogous launch in 2025. 

Between WWDC and the official launch within the fall, Apple will launch a string of beta releases, sometimes eight or so in whole. We’ve got a separate article that particulars easy methods to be a part of Apple’s beta software program program so you possibly can take a look at the brand new software program as quickly because the beta arrives.

Anybody utilizing the beta is inspired to file bug studies utilizing the included Apple’s Suggestions Assistant app in order that the corporate can handle them. If you wish to study extra in regards to the beta learn: What’s within the newest iOS beta and easy methods to get it. And be sure you learn why we advise in opposition to putting in the iOS beta.

iOS 26 supported gadgets: Which iPhones get iOS 26

• Free software program replace for iPhone 11 and later
• The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max will miss out on iOS 26

The next iPhones will get iOS 26:

• iPhone 16e (2025)
• iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Professional/16 Professional Max (2024)
• iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Professional/15 Professional Max (2023)
• iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Professional/14 Professional Max (2022)
• iPhone SE (third gen) (2022)
• iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Professional/13 Professional Max (2021)
• iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Professional/12 Professional Max (2020)
• iPhone SE (2nd gen) (2020)
• iPhone 11/11 Professional/11 Professional Max (2019)

When Apple updates the working system for its gadgets it typically signifies that sure fashions will not be suitable with the replace. The iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, which have been supported by iOS 18 and launched in 2018, will miss out on iOS 26. 

This doesn’t imply that these 2018 iPhones are unsupported by Apple. Apple will proceed to concern security-related software program updates to iOS 18 for just a few extra years. Examine how lengthy iPhones are supported to seek out out which iPhones are now not supported with safety updates. 

Nor does this imply that each one the supported iPhones get all the brand new options. As was the case in 2024, solely sure iPhones can assist Apple Intelligence powered options. That’s the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max and the entire of the  iPhone 16 vary. Because of this in case your telephone isn’t a kind of talked about you miss out on options such because the Visible Intelligence and Genmoji updates, in addition to the Cellphone app means to handle your undesirable calls. 

Learn the way the brand new iOS compares with the present model in our comparability of iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s totally different, what’s new, and must you replace?

iOS 26 design: Liquid Glass and different design adjustments

Apple

Through the WWDC keynote Apple previewed the brand new iPhone options coming later in 2025. The largest change is a visible one: a daring new redesign referred to as Liquid Glass.

This represents the largest change to iOS since iOS 7 was launched in 2013. Again then Apple dropped the skeuomorphic design in favor of flat symbolic icons. This time the interface shall be extra curved with a number of translucent parts.

There are additionally adjustments coming that may simplify app interfaces and make the content material extra seen.

What’s Liquid Glass?

The adjustments coming in iOS 26 have been rumoured to be “Slicker and extra trendy” with Apple mentioned to be adopting parts from visionOS. The brand new design lives as much as these expectations. It’s primarily based on a graphical consumer interface that Apple is asking Liquid Glass, which creates a translucent impact that mimics the qualities of glass.

Apple says that it’ll really feel extra like interacting with the bodily world, with parts being be extra curved and fewer flat and dynamically reacting to your contact.

Apple says the adjustments blur the strains between {hardware} and software program. Actually, in keeping with Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is designing a twentieth anniversary iPhone with curved glass on all sides that would be the superb showcase for Liquid Glass.

This new Liquid Glass design extends to all of Apple’s merchandise and to all of Apple’s apps. You’ll see the impact on the Dock, widgets and icons. Panes, home windows, buttons and menus shall be introduced as translucent layers with specular highlights.

The Liquid Glass parts will change coloration to mirror the content material beneath as you scroll and it will likely be potential to see blurred and refracted parts of the background by the highest layer. This final level has result in some concern about readability, with the seen backgrounds affecting readability of textual content, for instance.

Interface adjustments 

Apple

Apple is designing the interface to present a clearer view of what’s beneath the instruments and menu bars. Menus will shrink as you scroll to disclose the content material beneath. Apple can also be eradicating among the muddle from menus to simplify issues and emphasise the extra continuously used choices. For instance, relatively than occupying an oblong bar on the backside of the display, teams of controls will seem on floating parts that come out extra controls, change as you progress between views, and are tucked away if you scroll.

These adjustments to the menus are designed to make it simpler to entry the options you utilize most frequently, and uncover others. Apple is attempting to make iOS and its apps extra intuitive. 

instance of how these design adjustments shall be utilized is the Lock Display screen, which shall be extra adaptive. The picture you select as your wallpaper shall be scaled to suit the peak and width of the Lock Display screen and positioned to fill the accessible area round parts just like the time. Moreover, the wallpaper picture will slide up as notifications are available in.

We’ll focus on the adjustments coming to particular person apps beneath, however primarily Apple is making it simpler to seek out the instruments you normally use, with out the muddle of all the opposite options you don’t want.

iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence

Apple has been having hassle with a few of it’s AI efforts, particularly the Siri options that have been touted at WWDC 2024. Apple had promised that iOS 18.4 would carry a serious replace to Siri, the place it might be higher at pure conversations with the consumer, utilizing private context, consciousness of what’s on display, and the flexibility to carry out in-app actions.

Apple has confirmed that these Siri-related options have been pushed again till 2026, which implies they need to come as an replace to iOS 26, maybe in March, however we could possibly be ready even longer.

Apple nonetheless had a lot of spectacular Apple Intelligence powered options to point out off at WWDC although. Actually, among the new options coming to Highlight on the Mac appear to be among the options promised for Siri.

A few of these new Apple Intelligence options will make a huge impact in apps, particularly the Cellphone app, which we are going to focus on beneath. One other beneficiary of Apple Intelligence is Visible Intelligence, which was launched in iOS 18 and positive factors a really helpful means in iOS 26.

Visible Intelligence in iOS 26

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In iOS 18 you should use Visible Intelligence by holding up the iPhone to view one thing you have been interested in, triggering Visible Intelligence (through the Digicam Management button when you have one, or through the Management Centre if not) and viewing details about what you have been pointing the digicam at. It may establish a constructing, or provide so as to add the date from a poster to your calendar, for instance. That’s all very effectively if you end up out and about, however what about if you end up simply looking the net and wish to know the place one thing somebody is carrying is from or the place a video is being filmed?

In iOS 26 it will likely be potential take a screenshot and lookup details about that picture and merchandise in it utilizing Visible Intelligence. You can too ask ChatGPT for details about the screenshot. 

Genmoji and Picture Playground in iOS 26

Apple

Additionally benefitting from Apple Intelligence is Genmoji, one other function that arrived with iOS 18. Genmoji permits you to create customized emoji utilizing AI. To create a Genmoji you kind an outline within the Describe an Emoji discipline and faucet on Create New Emoji. You should use pictures of individuals you realize as a foundation and refine the emoji till it represents what you might be on the lookout for. The emoji will then be accessible in your emoji keyboard to make use of.

In iOS 26 the Genmoji interface is getting a redesign. Customers will be capable to combine two emoji collectively, or alter an present emoji to create one thing new, and even mix an emoji and a Sticker (which may be created from a photograph). Customers will be capable to additional customise emoji inside Picture Playground, altering expressions.

Picture Playground, which is Apple’s app for making AI-generated photographs, arrived in iOS 18 and is getting an replace in iOS 26. In iOS 26 it will likely be potential to make use of ChatGTP types, comparable to an oil portray in addition to these offered by Apple to create photographs in Picture Playground.

iOS 26 new apps and up to date apps 

• New Cellphone app capabilities
• Translation
• Digicam app overhaul

With every iteration of iOS the set of apps Apple gives grows and evolves, and most of the adjustments coming to the apps on the iPhone are shared by those self same apps on Apple’s different gadgets. iOS 26 is not any totally different.

This time among the upcoming adjustments are going to be fairly transformative to how you utilize the telephone – and by which we imply the phone side to the iPhone.  

Cellphone app

The telephone app may not be the one we use probably the most, however as Apple says, it’s basic to the iPhone. With iOS 26 the telephone app is getting an enormous replace that primarily turns it right into a PA. 

Apple is tapping into Apple Intelligence to carry new Voice Mail summaries to floor a very powerful data, however much more thrilling, it’s aiming to get rid of undesirable calls with a brand new Name Screening choice that may reply the decision within the background, ask the caller to clarify their motive for calling, after which present a textual content abstract of these particulars to you earlier than you resolve whether or not or to not take the decision. After all this may increasingly make it more durable to disregard calls from folks you ought to truly converse to, however it will likely be a great way to siphon off spam and hoax calls from unknown numbers.

That’s not all. One other new function is Maintain Help, which can robotically detect maintain music and mute the decision till it’s related to an agent. Because of this you will get issues executed with out having to maintain your telephone speaker enjoying irritating maintain music till somebody solutions. When an agent turns into free they are going to be knowledgeable that you’re there and your telephone will ring alerting you to the connection and you’ll take the decision. It’s going to be like having your personal receptionist. 

One other change within the Cellphone app ought to make it not possible to by accident faucet on contact within the Recents listing and name them. Presently, if you happen to faucet on a reputation in your Recents listing it can robotically name that individual. A brand new setting will can help you flip off “Faucet Recents to Name”.

Reside Translations

Additionally coming to the Cellphone app, but in addition current as a options in Messages and FaceTime, is Reside Translations, which can allow you to talk with somebody who speaks one other language.

With this function it is possible for you to to have a dialog with some who speaks a distinct language to you. If you’re acquainted with the Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy that is virtually on the degree of getting a Bable Fish.

If you’re chatting with some through the telephone app the iPhone will translate what it being mentioned, with a spoken voice translating what has been mentioned into your language. The recipient can even hear translations in their very own language. Apparently they don’t must have an iPhone. The principle restriction proper now’s that Reside Translation for Cellphone is offered just for one-on-one calls in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.

As we mentioned above, it’s not solely the Cellphone app that may get the Reside Translation options. FaceTime and Messages will as effectively. And Translation can also be discovering its manner into the Music app.

FaceTime 

When chatting with somebody through FaceTime you will notice real-time captions in your personal language. Reside Captions aren’t fully new to FaceTime, you possibly can already activate that performance in Accessibility > Reside Captions – though this solely works in case your language is about to English U.S.

In addition to the brand new Reside Translation function, FaceTime additionally will get adjustments to the interface designed to floor the controls you want whereas maintaining the caller seen. For instance, controls float to the underside proper and recede if you don’t want them. 

The FaceTime name listing additionally will get a brand new look, with video messages autoplaying as you scroll. 

Messages

Apple

If you’re utilizing Messages to speak with somebody who speaks a distinct language what you kind is translated into their language and vice versa.

As with the telephone, Messages is getting a screening instrument to fight spam. On-device spam detection provides you with “whole management over who seems in your dialog listing,” in keeping with Apple.

It’s already potential to filter out spam by utilizing the Unknown Senders listing in Messages, however in iOS 26 Messages could have a higher means to display for spam, and it’ll be sure you nonetheless obtain verification codes and different vital or time delicate messages.

Additionally in Messages it is possible for you to so as to add a background picture to Group Chats and a brand new choice to create a ballot shall be accessible. Messages will even recommend a ballot if a scenario requires one. Anybody can add choices to the ballot, as effectively. 

Those that have entry to Apple Money (nonetheless U.S. solely) may also entry this from group chats. 

Apple

Music

In Apple Music it is possible for you to to observe the lyrics alongside the interpretation into your personal language. For some languages you’ll even see a pronunciation information.

Additionally coming to the Music app is a brand new auto-mix choice that makes use of AI to fade between songs and match beats like a DJ would.

There’s additionally a brand new animated Apple Music paintings choice for the Lock Display screen. 

Interface adjustments must also imply it’s quicker and simpler to get to the music you might be in to. For instance, you possibly can pin your favorite album or playlist to the highest of your library. 

Apple

Video games

Apple is lastly tidying up the gaming expertise on the iPhone with a model new Video games app. With half a billion folks enjoying video games on iPad, in keeping with Apple, it’s about time. 

Apple says it’s creating a brand new vacation spot to assist its players get extra out of their video games. The Video games app will provide varied tabs to make discovering the video games you might be enjoying or have performed simpler. The Residence tab reveals what’s most related to you. The Library tab reveals all of the video games you might have ever downloaded. 

There’s additionally a Play Collectively tab the place you possibly can see what your folks are enjoying, play video games with them, evaluate scores, and invite them to play video games. You can too problem them to beat your highest rating in single participant video games. Turning single participant video games into enjoyable competitions with pals, with scores in actual time. 

Apple

One other change coming to gaming on iPhone (and iPad) is a brand new consistency to hoe contact controls are utilized in video games. Builders engaged on an iPhone or iPad recreation that requires extra superior controls have at all times needed to design their very own contact controls, and this may be inconsistent. In iOS 26, Apple will gives its personal contact controls for buttons, thumbsticks, dpads, throttles, and touchpads.

Apple Pockets

Like Apple Money most of the new Apple Pockets options are U.S. solely, comparable to the flexibility so as to add Drivers Licenses to Apple Pockets. 

Apple says there shall be extra methods to pay with Apple Pay in iOS 26, for instance you possibly can redeem factors or select to pay in instalments. That function is at the moment accessible in 9 states. From the autumn Apple says it will likely be potential so as to add a U.S. passport, however just for use for flights contained in the U.S. 

There shall be a brand new API for builders to reap the benefits of, enabling them to supply prospects with extra data inside the Pockets app, comparable to particulars of the providers included with the fare and improve choices that may be accessed from inside the Pockets app.

You can too observe Apple Pay orders, with Apple Intelligence discovering the order particulars and monitoring data and maintaining them collectively for you. 

Passwords & Autofill

The Passwords app, launched in iOS 18, can also be getting an replace. You may verify adjustments that you just’ve made to accounts logged within the Passwords app, view earlier passwords that have been used for these accounts and see after they have been altered.

As well as, iOS 26, Apple is introducing enhancements that may make utilizing passkeys simpler. Passkeys is an authentication technique that replaces conventional passwords with safety keys and biometrics. Many apps and web sites already present assist for passkeys, and with the iOS 26 replace, it will likely be potential for iPhone and iPad apps to allow customers to create a passkey with only a faucet. Passkeys may be authenticated with Face ID or Contact ID, and credentials shall be synchronized between your Apple gadgets through iCloud.

It is going to even be potential to pre-fill private knowledge, comparable to identify and e-mail, so that you now not must waste time filling in lengthy sign-up kinds. Even higher, iOS 26 will be capable to autofill verification codes from Gmail and WhatsApp. Verification code autofill may work in Google Chrome, at the moment verification codes solely work with Apple’s Safari browser.

Maps 

Apple

The Maps app additionally will get an replace, utilizing Apple Intelligence to know your common commutes and study your favourites. With this data it will likely be capable of warn you if you happen to ought to take a distinct route on account of visitors. 

One other change to Maps is that in order for you it to it will possibly log Visited Locations, which can make it simpler to seek out and recall locations you might have been to up to now. It’s straightforward to delete this historical past too. 

Reminders

In iOS 26, Reminders will recommend issues comparable to duties and grocery gadgets, plus follow-ups primarily based in your emails or different textual content in your iPhone, Mac, and extra.

Clock

You’ll lastly be capable to set a nap length of between one and quarter-hour, relatively than being caught with set eight minute snoozes!

Additionally, you will acquire the flexibility to set alarms from inside different apps. For instance, you could possibly set an alarm from inside a recipe app with out you needing to open the Clock.

Different new options in iOS 26

There are many different adjustments coming to iOS itself, lots of which can enhance the general expertise.

Operating duties within the background

iOS 26 could have a brand new API for operating duties within the background. So that you gained’t must maintain an app open after they’re doing one thing vital, comparable to importing information or exporting a video. Customers can swap to different apps with out interrupting the earlier job.

AI-powered battery administration

A new adaptive low energy mode has been noticed within the iOS 26 developer beta. This doesn’t change the common low energy mode (that’s nonetheless round) however as an alternative makes use of machine studying to make changes that would assist eke out just a little extra juice out of your battery.

As well as, the Lock Display screen will now show estimated charging instances to hit 80 p.c and 100% battery energy.