iOS 26 — What’s New
iOS 26 is officially available (Sept 15, 2025). The big headline is Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” translucent design, which touches the lock screen, home screen, apps and menus. Apple also added major features across Phone, Messages, Photos, Camera and AirPods.
Highlights
- Liquid Glass design: Translucent look across iPhone, adapts to light/dark modes. You can reduce transparency via Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency or Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion.
- Phone app redesign & Hold Assist: Scroll contacts, calls & voicemail in one view. Hold Assist notifies you when an agent picks up so you can skip the hold music.
- Live Translation: Real-time translation in Phone, FaceTime, Messages and supported AirPods (AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC).
- Polls in group chats and filtering unknown senders in Messages.
- Visual Intelligence: Search anything from your screen (like reverse image search for items you spot).
- Camera & Photos: Simplified Camera UI, lens-clean reminder, and restored Photos tabs (Library & Collections).
- Preview app: New app for scanning, editing PDFs and removing image backgrounds.
- Other: custom snooze times (1–15 min), bouncy passcode/Control Center animation, FaceTime “Communication Safety” on-device detection.
Compatible iPhones
Most iPhones from 2019 onward are supported. Notable compatible models include iPhone 11 and later, iPhone SE (2nd gen+) and the new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air announced at Apple’s event.
Release & Links
iOS 26 released Sept 15, 2025. Official Apple announcement: Apple Newsroom — iOS 26
Search for related products on Amazon (affiliate): AirPods Pro 3 on Amazon | iPhone Air on Amazon
How to reduce Liquid Glass effects
- Settings > Accessibility > Motion > toggle on Reduce Motion.
- Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > toggle on Reduce Transparency.
- Customize app backgrounds: long-press an app > Edit Home Screen > Edit > Customize > choose Default, Dark or Tinted.
Want to update?
Decide whether to install iOS 26 now for the new features or wait for early bug fixes. If your device isn’t compatible, Apple also released iOS 18.7 addressing security for older devices.
Have you updated to iOS 26 yet? Tell us your favorite or least favorite change in the comments below.