After a summer of beta updates, iOS 26 is here. As long as you have a compatible iPhone, you can install the new software right now. Head to Settings > General > Software Update, and get ready for a Liquid Glass makeover.
iOS 26 offers Apple’s biggest visual change to its software since iOS 7. (That was when Jony Ive’s flat design replaced Scott Forstall’s skeuomorphic one.) This time around, the software adopts a translucent material theme: Liquid Glass. Although it isn’t a return to skeuomorphism, it does reincorporate a sense of depth, simulating a pleasantly refractive glass. Expect colors and visual effects that respond to their onscreen surroundings.
Apple has taken flak from industry pundits for not rushing headfirst into AI. (Or, at least it hasn’t with the same manic frenzy as its competitors.) The company is taking a more measured approach, gradually incorporating it into its software. This year’s Apple Intelligence additions include live translation in messages, FaceTime and Phone. Visual Intelligence also expands beyond the camera and into screenshots. And your Genmoji and Image Playground creations might look less… strange than last year’s versions.
Even Apple Music gets a new AI feature. Its new automix generates transitions between songs, aiming for DJ-like progressions. I find that it works best with danceable genres like EDM or hip-hop. It usually won’t bother trying to mix less beat-driven singer-songwriter-type stuff.
Arguably handier than new AI features is Apple’s revamp of its communication apps. Call screening lets you gather info from callers before deciding whether to pick up. Hold Assist saves you from having to listen to the Muzak. And the Messages app adds new screening options and filters. You can also add custom backgrounds and even conduct polls in your messaging threads. Finally, the Phone app cleans up its interface, unifying its tabs into a single list.
There’s much more on tap, of course. For that, you can check out Tech Reader’s iOS 26 preview.
It isn’t all about the iPhone. Apple’s other software updates are here today, too. iPadOS 26 gives the tablet its most Mac-like productivity boost to date. watchOS 26 adds sleep scores and an AI coach. And macOS 26 Tahoe adds a Phone app and souped-up Spotlight search. All of those (along with visionOS 26 and tvOS 26, which still exist) adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic. You can download each via Settings > General > Software Update.
