IOS 26
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2025) |
| iOS 26 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 iOS 26 running on an iPhone 15 | |
| Developer | Apple |
| Written in | C, C++, Objective-C, Swift, assembly language |
| Source model | Closed with open-source components |
| General availability | September 15, 2025 |
| Latest release | 26.0[1] (23A341)[2] (September 15, 2025) [±] |
| Available in | 54 languages[3] |
List of languages Arabic, Basque, Bengali (India), Bhojpuri (India), Bulgarian, Cantonese (Hong Kong), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch (Belgium), Dutch (Netherlands), English (Australia), English (India), English (Ireland), English (Scotland)
English (South Africa), English (United Kingdom), English (United States), Farsi, Finnish, French (Belgium), French (Canada), French (France), Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Lithuanian, Malay, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan), Marathi, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish (Argentina), Spanish (Chile), Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese | |
| Supported platforms | iPhone |
| Preceded by | iOS 18 |
| Official website | apple |
| Tagline | New look. Even more magic. |
| Support status | |
| Supported. Drops support for all iPhones with an A12 Bionic SoC, including the iPhone XS/XS Max and iPhone XR. | |
| Articles in the series | |
| iPadOS 26 macOS Tahoe visionOS 26 tvOS 26 watchOS 26 | |
iOS 26[4] is the nineteenth and the current major release of Apple's iOS operating system for the iPhone. It was announced on June 9, 2025, at the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC),[5] and released on September 15, 2025.[6]
It is the direct successor to iOS 18; its version number was brought forward to 26 as Apple changed its version numbering convention for consistency across its operating systems.[7][8]
Features
[edit] | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a particular audience. (August 2025) |
System features
[edit]User interface
[edit]iOS 26 introduces a unified design language, known as Liquid Glass, across all Apple platforms. Influenced by visionOS, the design replaces the flat design language introduced in iOS 7 to utilize rounded, translucent elements with the "optical qualities of glass" (including refraction), which react to motion, content, and inputs. It resembles skeuomorphism from iOS 6 and earlier, most notable in the Camera app's new icon (which resembles the icon from iOS 6 and earlier).[original research] Multiple apps, including Camera and Safari, have redesigned user interfaces to reflect the new design language.[9][10]
Home screen and lock screen
[edit]Widgets on the lock screen can now be placed at the bottom of the screen. The height of the time shown on the lock screen is dynamic, and it can increase or decrease depending on the objects recognized in the background—whether they are at the bottom or top, or even based on the stack of notifications growing from below. However, it is only available if Apple's default San Francisco font is used.
In addition to the Dark, Light, and Tinted themes, iOS 26 adds a "Clear" theme that changes the Home Screen to use icons that use the glass-like effects introduced with Liquid Glass.
When customizing the lock screen, the user can apply a 3D effect to a Home Screen wallpaper, making subjects appear to pop out of the screen as the user moves the phone.
Battery
[edit]- A new energy-saving feature called Adaptive Power was introduced for periods of higher device usage. It makes minor adjustments, such as reducing screen brightness and slowing down processes, without blocking background activities like the traditional low power mode does.
- The estimated time to full charge is now displayed on the Lock Screen and in Settings.
- In the Settings app, daily battery consumption is color-coded: orange for higher usage and blue for lower or typical usage. Each app shows whether it sent more notifications, ran in the background longer, or consumed more battery than usual.
Accessibility
[edit]- Reader Mode is a system-level reading mode designed to assist users with blindness, low vision, or other reading impairments, making text easier to read.
- Braille Access turns the user's phone into a full braille note-taking tool, eliminating the need for external devices. It supports braille input (via screen or braille display), Nemeth code for calculations, reading braille files, and app navigation. It also provides real-time conversation transcripts on the braille display.[11]
- Head Tracking allows the user to control the pointer on the screen by tracking head movements and perform to customized actions based on facial movements and expressions (e.g., raise eyebrows, open mouth, smile, stick out tongue, eye blink, etc.).
- A new audio equalizer with two modes, "Comfort" and "Focus", for automatic frequency adjustment has been added in the Accessibility settings under Audio and Visual Effects.
Apple Intelligence
[edit]iOS 26 introduces new Apple Intelligence features; Apple Intelligence models were made more efficient and support additional languages.[12] It will support live translation of voice and text conversations using on-device models, and Genmoji can now be invoked to merge existing emojis together rather than needing to use a prompt.[13][10] Visual Intelligence and Image Playground also features additional ChatGPT integration.[13]
The framework allows Apple Intelligence features to be integrated into third-party apps; Apple stated that a Swift app can implement the framework with as little as three lines of code.[12]
After taking a screenshot, a full-screen preview appears. Users can search for information on the circled area and ask questions using ChatGPT. This functions like Visual Intelligence but is based on screenshots instead of photos.
Voice Dictation
[edit]Users can now spell out a word when dictating, which is helpful for complex or unrecognized words.
Always-On Display (AOD)
[edit]Wallpaper Blur for AOD is a setting that lets the user apply a blur effect to the AOD's wallpaper image.
Wi-Fi
[edit]- Wi-Fi Aware: introduced support for the new Wi-Fi standard that allows a device to discover other nearby devices and communicate with them securely without using an internet connection or access point.[14]
- Captive Assist: when the user accesses a public Wi-Fi network on an Apple device by filling out a web form, the form information is automatically shared with the other Apple devices, making it easier to connect to the same network.
Keyboard
[edit]When the user presses an emoji key, the description of that emoji appears below in the search box (e.g., grinning face).
Screenshots and screen recordings
[edit]The General section of the Settings app has a new section for configuring screenshots.
- Full-screen previews: a screenshot-capture mode that keeps the captured screen in full-screen view instead of minimizing it to an icon in the screen's bottom-left corner.
- HDR captures: it is now possible to capture HDR screenshots and screen recordings.
eSIM transfer with Android
[edit]iOS 26 allows the user to directly transfer an eSIM between an iPhone and an Android phone without having to request a QR code from the mobile carrier.
App features
[edit]Phone
[edit]An optional unified layout has been introduced, for those who want to have favorite contacts, recent calls and voicemail messages in a single view.
- Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers to determine if they are from a real person or spam. It asks the caller to identify themselves and state the reason for the call. If the call is deemed legitimate, it is passed through, and the phone rings.
- Hold Assist lets users put a call on hold and notify the caller when they are ready to resume the conversation.
- Tap Recents to Call is a setting that, when disabled, prevents accidental calls by tapping a name or number in the user's call history.
- Live Translations in Calls allows real-time translation of the caller's voice, converting it into the desired language during the call.
- The Phone app provides haptic feedback, vibrating when the call is answered on the other end.
- From the Recent Calls page, it is possible to create a reminder to re-call recently called numbers in one hour, tonight, tomorrow, or later.
- Full per-contact Call History: for each contact, you can now view the full call history, spanning months and years, rather than just the most recent calls.
Messages
[edit]The Messages app now supports custom backgrounds, polls, and the user indicator for typing in group chats. The user can also select and copy part of a message instead of the entire message.
- Spam messages from unknown senders are automatically recognized and moved to a separate list.
- Users can activate translation in real time to ensure that everything written in one language is sent as a message written in another.
Music
[edit]- The user can pin favorite songs or albums at the top of the library.
- Translation and pronunciation of live lyrics allows users to understand the lyrics of the songs in other languages and to sing (i.e., pronounce) them even if the user person does not know the language.
- AutoMix switches from one song to another using Time Stretching and Beat Matching techniques for a more continuous mix.
- Users can create folders in which to put playlists.
- Live Radio Widget is a widget for the Home screen that allows direct access to 6 radio stations.
- Fullscreen artwork: the album cover of the playing song extends to full screen on the Lock Screen.
Photos
[edit]- The changes to the Photos app in iOS 18 have been reverted. In its place is a new layout with a command bar at the bottom that allows the user to switch to the Library, Collections, and Search quickly.
- It is possible to apply a 3D effect to a photo to make it appear that the represented subjects come out of the screen when the phone moves. This is the same VisionOS technology that has been brought to the iPhone.
Camera
[edit]The Camera interface is simpler, with two main buttons, "Photo" and "Video", initially visible and placed at the bottom. An expandable and scrollable command bar reveals other shooting modes. Menus are also more intuitive: to access controls like flash, timer, and photo format, the user only needs to tap the grid-shaped button at the top of the toolbar, without needing a swipe gesture.
- Lens Cleaning Hints is a setting that displays a suggestion when the camera lens should be cleaned to improve image quality.
- The items in the side menu can now be reordered, allowing the preferred control to be placed in the first position.
Notes
[edit]The Notes app can record and transcribe calls into notes, while Markdown is added as an export option.[15]
Reminders
[edit]A Reminders control can be added to the Control Center, allowing users to quickly create a reminder directly from there.
Maps
[edit]- Preferred Routes automatically learns the routes the user takes every day, such as those between home, school, and work, and notifies them in advance of any delays without needing to be checked manually.
- The user can save the favorite places they visit, such as bars or parks, to find them immediately.
Safari
[edit]- A third "Compact" (floating) style has been added for tab management alongside the existing "Tab Bar" (bottom) and "Single Tab" (top) styles.
- There is added support for HDR images and SVG icons.[16]
Files
[edit]- The user can now color folders and assign custom icons for easier identification.
- File Types per App: from the File app, the user can quickly assign the default app needed to open a given file type.
- The user can directly use audio files (e.g., MP3, M4A, etc.) as ringtones by selecting the file, tapping Share, and choosing "Use as Ringtone".
Clock
[edit]The "Snooze" duration can be adjusted from 1 to 15 minutes. The buttons to stop or snooze the alarm are displayed in a large size for easier access when waking up.
Calculator
[edit]Equations in 3 variables and 3D graphs are supported in Math Notes.
Passwords
[edit]- Password History allows users to view previous passwords and password change dates.
- Export Passwords allows users to securely export passwords, passkeys, and verification codes to other password manager apps.
Journal
[edit]The user can create several distinct Journals, rather than just one.
Podcasts
[edit]Enhance Dialogue: a new option that enhances podcast episode audio by emphasizing speakers' voices and reducing background noise and music. It is located in the menu that appears to adjust the podcast playback speed.
Home
[edit]Home supports only the redesigned Apple Home architecture introduced in iOS 16, ending support for the legacy architecture.[17]
Games
[edit]A new Games app provides an interface for games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as well as Game Center social features.[10][18]
Apple Wallet
[edit]The Apple Wallet app adds additional functions for boarding passes, including the ability to display interior maps of the respective airport and real-time flight information as a Live Activity. Users in the United States will also be able to add their digital passport to Wallet.[19][20]
Shortcuts
[edit]AI Actions enable the user to create commands leveraging AI capabilities. These commands begin with an action that selects an AI model or "engine," such as Cloud (Private Cloud Compute), On-Device, or ChatGPT.
Security and privacy
[edit]Wired accessories permission
[edit]In the privacy and security settings, a new permission allows or denies the use of accessories connected to the phone via cable when the phone is locked. The options the user can choose are: always ask, ask for new accessories, allow automatically when the phone is unlocked, and always allow.
Blocked contacts
[edit]A new section is available in the privacy and security settings that collects all blocked contacts across various apps, such as all unknown phone numbers automatically classified as spam.
Recovery Assistant
[edit]Recovery Assistant is a feature that allows the iPhone to automatically attempt to recover if the device fails to start up successfully.[21]
Quantum-secure TLS
[edit]TLS 1.3 in iOS 26 uses a key exchange based on quantum-secure cryptography, and it is enabled by default since it has already been adopted by the leading service providers.[22]
Wallpaper
[edit]In iOS 26 Beta 3, Apple introduced new styles for the default iOS 26 wallpaper, including Shadow, Sky, Halo, and Dusk. A new dynamic wallpaper was added in the first public beta.
Supported devices
[edit]iOS 26 requires a device with an Apple A13 Bionic processor or newer, thus dropping support for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.[23][24] Apple Intelligence features require an Apple A17 Pro processor or newer.[25][26]
Release history
[edit]| Version | Build | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.0 | 23A330 | September 19, 2025 | Preinstalled on iPhones 17, 17 Pro, and Air |
| 23A341 | September 15, 2025 | Developer release notes Release notes Security content | |
Version: Unsupported Supported Latest Preview | |||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Clover, Juli (September 15, 2025). "Apple Releases iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 With New Liquid Glass Design". MacRumors. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 (23A341) - Releases". Apple Developer. September 15, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "iOS and iPadOS - Feature Availability". Apple. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 Preview". Apple. Archived from the original on August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 at WWDC 2025: Apple's major visual overhaul, AI battery features and more - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. June 2, 2025. Archived from the original on June 2, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ "Apple announces iOS 26 release date: September 15". 9TO5Mac. September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 is official: Apple changes from version numbers to years for its OS names". Engadget. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Pandey, Rajesh (June 9, 2025). "Goodbye iOS 19, hello iOS 26: Apple switches to year-based names". Cult of Mac. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ Perez, Sarah (June 9, 2025). "Apple redesigns its operatings systems with 'Liquid Glass'". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Peters, Jay (June 9, 2025). "Apple announces iOS 26 with Liquid Glass redesign". The Verge. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ "Apple unveils powerful accessibility features coming later this year". Apple Newsroom. Archived from the original on June 15, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
- ^ a b "Apple Intelligence opened up to all developers with Foundation Models Framework". AppleInsider. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "Apple Intelligence at WWDC: Everything Apple announced for iOS, macOS and more". Engadget. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "Wi-Fi Aware". Wi-Fi Alliance. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ "Four New Features Coming to Apple Reminders and Notes". MacRumors. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "News from WWDC25: WebKit in Safari 26 beta". WebKit. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Christoffel, Ryan (May 12, 2025). "Apple confirms iOS 19 will end support for legacy Home app system - 9to5Mac". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ Mayo, Benjamin (June 9, 2025). "Apple unveils new Apple Games app". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 brings big changes to Music, Maps, and Wallet". AppleInsider. June 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ Chant, Tim De (June 9, 2025). "Apple Wallet gains new travel-friendly features in iOS 26". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26 Allows You to Restore Any iPhone Without a Mac or PC". MacRumors. June 23, 2025. Archived from the original on June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Get ahead with quantum-secure cryptography - WWDC25 - Videos". Apple Developer. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Cunningham, Andrew (June 9, 2025). "Apple drops support for just three iPhone and iPad models from iOS and iPadOS 26". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ "iOS 26, iPadOS 26 Are Compatible With These iPhone and iPad Models". Gadgets 360. June 10, 2025. Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
- ^ Prospero, Mike (June 10, 2024). "Here are the devices that will support Apple Intelligence — no older iPhones allowed". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "iOS 18 Preview". Apple. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
External links
[edit]- "Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
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