Everything you need to know about the iPhone update ahead of the Apple event next week

Apple’s iPhone 17 occasion is ready to run on Tuesday, September 9. Which means we should always lastly get the thin on the presumed iPhone 17 lineup — together with the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air — in lower than per week. (Within the meantime, we’ve got a breakdown of how one can watch the iPhone 17 launch.)

Assuming Apple sticks to custom, this additionally means we should always be capable to set up iOS 26 a few week or so after the showcase. However you do not have to attend to check out the brand new options, since you may obtain and set up the newly launched public beta 6 or iOS 26 developer beta 9. (See our preview of the iOS 26 public beta launch for more information.) The very first thing you may discover is a brand new clear design language Apple dubs Liquid Glass. The translucent look could be discovered inside apps in addition to your lock and residential screens. The overhaul is one in all a number of large adjustments coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite

After overpromising on AI plans final 12 months, Apple saved its iOS roadmap targeted extra on fundamental high quality of life enhancements with iOS 26. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Cellphone and Messages apps, as an illustration: Apple execs outlined the flexibility to weed out spam texts or unknown senders and an possibility to carry your spot on a cellphone name whenever you’ve been ready for a consultant to choose up.

It looks as if extra new enhancements are popping up (or a minimum of hinted at) with every beta, equivalent to an AirPods reside translation characteristic and a brand new bouncy animation on the passcode display and within the Management Middle. A few of these adjustments have already migrated into the separate public beta. Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26 (each the betas and closing model). We have rounded up a full checklist of recent options coming this fall beneath.

What’s iOS 26?

The present iPhone working system is iOS 18, which Apple remains to be actively updating — model 18.6.1 was launched final month, for instance, to revive Apple Watch blood oxygen monitoring performance for sure customers within the US. Extra lately, Apple launched iOS 18.6.2 to deal with a vulnerability associated to picture processing. Apple has formally stopped signing iOS 18.6, MacRumors experiences, which implies it could actually now not be put in in your iPhone as a consequence of a “server-side software program verification examine.” That is fairly regular when newer variations can be found to obtain.

However do not anticipate to ever see an iOS 19. As a substitute, Apple is skipping its naming conference forward to iOS 26. (Apple can also be anticipated to launch iOS 18.7 on the similar time, per MacRumors, to deal with safety points.) 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 shall be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to mirror the 12 months forward.

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be sincere. Out of all the pieces introduced at WWDC this 12 months, the brand new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s house and lock screens have appeared just about the identical 12 months after 12 months — the final thrilling factor (for my part) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your property display 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 can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You will additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Cellphone 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 path, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft’s translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.

That stated, as of the discharge of the iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already included some person suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in a minimum of some locations. And whereas it should proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable to escape it: The corporate says Liquid Glass was designed to make all of its platforms extra cohesive. This is a take a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.

What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?

iOS 26 has a laundry checklist of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Cellphone app redesign: You will lastly be capable to scroll via contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic known as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the cellphone so you may keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Dwell Translation in Cellphone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the flexibility to have a dialog through cellphone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Dwell Translation will 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 via what looks as if tons of of messages in your group chat? You and your pals will quickly be capable to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you take on a highway journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not acquired spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.

Visible Intelligence: Just like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will mean you can seek for something that is in your iPhone display. As an illustration, when you spot a pair of footwear somebody is carrying in an Instagram picture, you may screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to seek out these footwear (or related ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s been annoyed with final 12 months’s adjustments to the Photographs app, you may be completely satisfied to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections can have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to seek out what you are in search of.

Digicam app updates: Navigating the Digicam app must 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 is a new characteristic that tells you in case your lens must be cleaned.

FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic: A more recent addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a toddler security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

New lock display choices: The iPhone lock display will get extra customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper results, extra widgets and higher focus mode choices.

New alarm setting: You will now not be caught with the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms. As a substitute, you may have the choice to alter your snooze time from one to fifteen minutes.

Screenshots look totally different: You will discover a number of new options whenever 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 might have in regards to the picture.

New adjustments coming to iPadOS 26

Your iPad is not getting left behind in the case of large updates. This is what’s coming this fall.

Multitasking and actual windowing: Whenever you obtain the latest replace, you’ll have a number of apps working in your display on the similar time. When you open an app, it will seem in your display as regular however you’ll resize and transfer it throughout your display to make room for different apps. This characteristic is optionally available so you may flip it off when you do not prefer it.

Visible replace: Together with the opposite new OSes, iPadOS 26 is coming with the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look will seem on the lock and residential screens, in addition to the drop-down menus.

New menu bar: Whenever you swipe down in your display, the brand new menu bar will seem with choices like File, Edit, Home windows and extra. There’s additionally a search possibility when you’re in search of one thing particular.

There’s extra past that, so be sure you try our first impressions of iPadOS 26.

What about AirPods?

AirPods are additionally getting up to date with iOS 26. Listed below are a few of the extra notable capabilities.

Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this “studio-quality” audio recording, and with it, you may discover extra readability whereas in noisy environments.

Digicam distant management: Utilizing this, you may take a photograph or begin and cease video recording with only one press in your AirPods. When taking pictures, you may get a three-second countdown earlier than your iPhone or iPad snaps the image.

Dwell translation characteristic: Whereas not formally introduced or confirmed, it seems that the long-rumored reside translation for AirPods may very well be coming with iOS 26. The proof comes from a system asset noticed within the in iOS 26 beta displaying a gesture that is triggered by urgent each earbud stems on the similar time. The picture additionally exhibits phrases in a number of totally different languages.

Coronary heart price monitoring (rumored for now): Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes Apple will introduce new AirPods Professional earbuds this 12 months, which may have coronary heart price monitoring. It might work with Apple’s Well being app and different health apps that observe coronary heart charges.

Will 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 12 months,” so that you should not anticipate any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are experiences that Apple is aiming to present Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal 12 months. The corporate can also be reportedly engaged on a “stripped-down” AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Which iPhones will be capable to improve to iOS 26?

A couple of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — will not be appropriate with the newest improve. However any iPhones from 2019 or later shall be eligible for iOS 26:

• iPhone SE (second technology or later)

Not listed below are the 4 presumed iPhone 17 fashions which are all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.

The best way to set up iOS 26 beta

The iOS 26 public beta is now obtainable to obtain through the Apple Beta Software program Program. In the event you’re not already a member, you may want to enroll to check out all the newest options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and enroll along with your cellphone quantity or e-mail tackle. It is free.

When you’re in, you may set up it by going to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and deciding on iOS 26 public beta.

A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your important iPhone until you are OK with any dangers that happen with utilizing an OS that is not finalized.

When will the ultimate model of iOS 26 be launched?

iOS 26 shall be launched to the general public this fall. It often is available in September, inside per week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final 12 months, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced. Because the iPhone 17 occasion falls on September 9 this 12 months, it is attainable the downloads will hit our telephones on September 16.

In the event you’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, here is all the pieces 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 4: Added particulars about how screenshots are totally different in iOS 26.

Replace, September 3: Famous Apple is anticipated 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 Digicam 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 are actually obtainable 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 obtainable 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 characteristic on passcode display and Management Middle.

Replace, August 4: Famous that Apple is reportedly engaged on a ChatGPT rival.

Replace, August 1: Added quote from Tim Prepare dinner about iOS 26.

Replace, July 31: Famous that iOS 18.6 is now obtainable.

Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now obtainable.

Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.

Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and experiences that Apple is contemplating extra exterior LLMs for Siri.

Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.