If you happen to haven't already, now you can obtain the brand new iOS 26 in your iPhone. When you do, get able to see a slew of adjustments, together with a brand new clear design referred to as Liquid Glass. The translucent look will be discovered inside apps in addition to your lock and residential screens. (If you happen to don't prefer it, there's a technique to cut back the transparency.) The overhaul is considered one of a number of huge adjustments that include iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and the remainder of Apple's software program suite — the brand new working system updates for these devices are additionally accessible to obtain now.
You'll additionally see a number of helpful additions within the Telephone and Messages apps. As an example, the flexibility to weed out spam texts or unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a telephone name while you've been ready for a consultant to select up. And for enjoyable, now you can create polls in group texts. Different new enhancements coming embody a confirmed AirPods dwell translation function, and a brand new bouncy animation on the passcode display screen and within the Management Middle.
If you happen to're planning to improve your telephone this yr, check out all the brand new fashions Apple unveiled throughout its iPhone 17 occasion, from the iPhone 17 lineup (try our evaluation of the iPhone 17) to the all-new ultra-thin iPhone Air (check out our hands-on evaluation). If you happen to missed the keynote, you possibly can compensate for every thing Apple introduced right here or rewatch the total iPhone 17 launch. The corporate rounded out its bulletins with three new Apple Watch fashions, in addition to the brand-new AirPods Professional 3.
Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26. We've rounded up a full listing of recent options you'll have to take a look at.
What’s iOS 26 and will I obtain iOS 18.7 first?
As a substitute of releasing iOS 19, Apple skipped its naming conference forward to iOS 26. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, just like automotive mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working methods had been launched in 2025, they're all designated "26" to replicate the yr forward.
Apple additionally launched iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26 to handle safety points — nice information for those who don't have a telephone that's eligible to run the most recent OS. If you happen to're questioning which one to obtain first, it's actually as much as you. Do you wish to look ahead to Apple to quash any bugs in iOS 26 or would you like entry to all the brand new options everybody's speaking about now?
What’s Liquid Glass design?
Let's be sincere. Out of every thing introduced at WWDC this yr, the brand new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone's residence and lock screens have seemed just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your own home display screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens' new facelift is refreshing.
So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a "new translucent materials" since, nicely, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You'll additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Telephone and Maps. They're designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless simple to see.
Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget's Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new course, even when it's considerably paying homage to Microsoft's translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.
That mentioned, whereas it was in beta mode, Apple integrated some person suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in no less than some locations. And whereas it’ll proceed to evolve, Apple customers received't have the ability to escape it: The corporate says Liquid Glass was designed to make all of its platforms extra cohesive.
Right here's a take a look at how the translucent aesthetic seems with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.
The best way to flip iOS 26 Liquid Glass settings off
If you happen to discover you don't like the brand new clear take care of downloading iOS 26, you possibly can change a pair Accessibility settings, although you possibly can't utterly flip off Liquid Glass. For starters, you possibly can cut back the liquid look by going to Settings > Accessibility > Movement > toggle on Cut back Movement.
You may make your drop-down menus extra opaque as an alternative of translucent by going to Settings >Accessibility > Show & Textual content Dimension > toggle on Cut back Transparency.
You may as well change your clear apps again to the way in which they had been. Simply press and maintain any app in your display screen and choose Edit Dwelling Display. From right here, faucet Edit (high left) and Customise. You possibly can swap out to Default, Darkish or Tinted.
What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?
iOS 26 has a laundry listing of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:
Telephone app redesign: Now you can scroll by way of contacts, current calls and voicemail messages all on one display screen. It additionally comes with a brand new function referred to as Maintain Help that'll notify you when an agent involves the telephone so you possibly can keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.
Stay Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 brings the flexibility to have a dialog by way of telephone name, FaceTime or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Stay Translation makes use of Apple Intelligence and it’ll translate your dialog in actual time, which ends up in some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.
Polls in group chats: Bored with sorting by way of what looks as if a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your folks can now create polls in group messages to determine issues like which brunch spot you're consuming at or whose automotive you're taking up a highway journey.
Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you happen to haven't acquired spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you're fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.
Visible Intelligence: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new function will let you seek for something that's in your iPhone display screen. As an example, for those who spot a pair of footwear somebody is carrying in an Instagram picture, you possibly can screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to search out these footwear (or comparable ones) on-line.
Pictures tabs are again: For anybody who's been pissed off with final yr's adjustments to the Pictures app, you'll be glad to know that your tabs are again. Library and Collections have their very own separate areas so that you don't must scroll to infinity to search out what you're in search of.
Camera app updates: Navigating the Digital camera app ought to be less complicated in iOS 26, as all of the buttons and menus are in handy spots — much less swiping, extra picture taking. Plus, there's a brand new function that tells you in case your lens must be cleaned.
FaceTime "Communication Security" function: A more moderen addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime "Communication Security" function that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The function seems to be a toddler security function that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.
New lock screen options: The iPhone lock display screen is extra customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper results, extra widgets and higher focus mode choices.
New alarm setting: You'll now not be caught with the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms. As a substitute, you now have the choice to alter your snooze time from one to fifteen minutes.
Screenshots look different: You'll discover a number of new options while you take a screenshot, together with "spotlight to look," the choice to look your picture on Google and ChatGPT is there for any questions you have got in regards to the picture.
Preview on iOS 26: There's a brand new app referred to as Preview that permits you to scan paperwork, fill out PDF types, in addition to spotlight, underline or strike by way of textual content in a PDF file. You may as well take away backgrounds from photos on this app.
New adjustments with iPadOS 26
Your iPad isn't getting left behind relating to huge updates. Right here's what to search for.
Multitasking and actual windowing: Once you obtain the most recent replace, you'll have the ability to have a number of apps operating in your display screen on the identical time. When you open an app, it'll seem in your display screen as regular however you'll have the ability to resize and transfer it throughout your display screen to make room for different apps. This function is elective so you possibly can flip it off for those who don't prefer it.
Visible replace: Together with the opposite new OSes, iPadOS 26 additionally has the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look seems on the lock and residential screens, in addition to the drop-down menus.
New menu bar: Once you swipe down in your display screen, the brand new menu bar will seem with choices like File, Edit, Home windows and extra. There's additionally a search choice for those who're in search of one thing particular.
There's extra past that, so remember to try our first impressions of iPadOS 26.
What about AirPods?
AirPods are additionally getting up to date with iOS 26. Listed below are a number of the extra notable features.
Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this "studio-quality" audio recording, and with it, you'll discover extra readability whereas in noisy environments.
Digital camera distant management: Utilizing this, you possibly can take a photograph or begin and cease video recording with only one press in your AirPods. When taking pictures, you'll get a three-second countdown earlier than your iPhone or iPad snaps the image.
Stay translation function: Stay translation is accessible on AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC when paired with iPhones operating iOS 26. Apple says that when somebody speaks to you in a unique language, you should use your AirPods to translate what they’re saying.
Coronary heart price monitoring: Apple launched new AirPods Professional 3 earbuds this month, which embody coronary heart price monitoring. It is going to work with Apple's Well being app and different health apps that monitor coronary heart charges.
Did Siri get an replace?
Siri is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level "within the coming yr," so that you shouldn't anticipate any main adjustments proper now. However there are studies that Apple is aiming to provide Siri an even bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, which might make 2026 a pivotal yr. The corporate can also be reportedly engaged on a "stripped-down" AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.
Which iPhones will have the ability to improve to iOS 26?
A number of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — aren't appropriate with the most recent improve. However any iPhones from 2019 or later shall be eligible for iOS 26:
-
iPhone SE (second era or later)
-
iPhone 11
-
iPhone 11 Professional
-
iPhone 11 Professional Max
-
iPhone 12
-
iPhone 12 mini
-
iPhone 12 Professional
-
iPhone 12 Professional Max
-
iPhone 13
-
iPhone 13 mini
-
iPhone 13 Professional
-
iPhone 13 Professional Max
-
iPhone 14
-
iPhone 14 Plus
-
iPhone 14 Professional
-
iPhone 14 Professional Max
-
iPhone 15
-
iPhone 15 Plus
-
iPhone 15 Professional
-
iPhone 15 Professional Max
-
iPhone 16
-
iPhone 16 Plus
-
iPhone 16 Professional
-
iPhone 16 Professional Max
-
iPhone 16e
-
iPhone 17
-
iPhone Air
-
iPhone 17 Professional
-
iPhone 17 Professional Max
When are you able to obtain iOS 26?
iOS 26 has formally been launched to the general public free of charge as of September 15, 2025.
If you happen to're extra within the new Apple Intelligence options, right here's every thing Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots may very well be an intriguing preview of Apple's delayed Siri rework.
Replace, September 18: Added information about Engadget's iPhone 17 evaluation.
Replace, September 17: Added particulars and hyperlink in regards to the new iPhone Air.
Replace, September 16: Added particulars about modifying Liquid Glass settings, and new information in regards to the Preview app.
Replace, September 15: Famous iOS 26 is formally accessible for obtain.
Replace, September 12: Famous iOS 26 is coming to eligible iPhones in just some days, timing TBD.
Replace, September 11: Added the merchandise Apple launched at its Tuesday occasion and famous when iOS 26 shall be accessible to obtain.
Replace, September 9: Famous the iPhone occasion is beginning quickly.
Replace, September 8: Famous the iPhone 17 occasion is tomorrow.
Replace, September 4: Added particulars about how screenshots are completely different in iOS 26.
Replace, September 3: Famous Apple is predicted to launch iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26.
Replace, September 2: Added extra new options coming with iOS 26.
Replace, August 29: Added new part about Siri and a hyperlink to what's new with the iOS 26 Digital camera app.
Replace, August 27: Added the official iPhone 17 occasion date, in addition to the potential iOS 26 launch.
Replace, August 25: Added a rumor about new AirPods Professional having coronary heart price monitoring.
Replace, August 22: Famous that Apple has formally stopped signing iOS 18.6.
Replace, August 20: Famous that iOS 26 public beta 4 and iOS 18.6.2 at the moment are accessible to obtain.
Replace, August 18: Added particulars a few potential iOS 18.6 replace.
Replace, August 15: Added to hyperlink to what to anticipate on the Apple iPhone occasion and particulars about what's accessible within the iOS 26 screenshots editor.
Replace, August 13: Added new AirPods element noticed within the iOS 26 beta.
Replace, August 11: Famous that iOS 26 developer beta has hit beta 6.
Replace, August 8: Added new options coming with iPadOS 26 and AirPods.
Replace, August 6: Famous the discharge of iOS 26 beta 5 and the brand new bouncy function on passcode display screen and Management Middle.
Replace, August 4: Famous that Apple is reportedly engaged on a ChatGPT rival.
Replace, August 1: Added quote from Tim Cook dinner about iOS 26.
Replace, July 31: Famous that iOS 18.6 is now accessible.
Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now accessible.
Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime function discovered within the developer beta.
Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and studies that Apple is contemplating extra exterior LLMs for Siri.
Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cellular/ios-26-is-ready-to-download-everything-to-know-about-the-free-iphone-software-update-135749287.html?src=rss