WWDC25: The 10 biggest changes coming to your iPhone with iOS 26

At WWDC25, Apple finally confirmed the rumors that had been swirling for months: it’s skipping iOS 19 and jumping straight to iOS 26, in a move to align version numbers across its OS family—macOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 2, and now iOS 26. The company is calling this “a new era of software consistency.”

But what stood out wasn’t just the numbering; it was the tone of the releases.

After last year’s flashy reveal of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 (where many features shipped late or didn’t quite land), Apple seems to be taking a more grounded approach this time. iOS 26 isn’t trying to wow you with theatrics or promise the future. It’s playing it cool: refining UX quirks, layering in quiet intelligence upgrades, and catching up where Android, especially Google and Samsung, already lead.

Here’s what you can expect from the iOS 26 update:

/1. A bold new look, inspired by visionOS - Liquid Glass

For the first time in over a decade, iOS is getting a design refresh. The new Liquid Glass aesthetic gives apps, icons, and widgets a translucent, almost ethereal look. It’s part visionOS, part Android's Material You, but with that Apple polish.

There’s also a new “All Clear” icon theme that makes your home screen nearly transparent, adapting fluidly between light and dark environments.

And on the lock screen, the time itself shifts position to fit the contours of your wallpaper, a small but satisfying touch that leans into personalisation without sacrificing simplicity. – Kelechi

/2. Phone and Messages get smarter (finally)

While Genmoji and text effects bring playfulness (see: bouncing text, glitter trails), Apple is also giving Messages real utility. You can now:

• Filter unknown senders into a separate inbox
• Generate AI-powered chat backgrounds
• Create polls in group chats
• See typing indicators in group messages.

It seems like a small change, but it shows Apple’s intent to make Messages more competitive with Telegram and WhatsApp in daily group chats.

At the same time, Apple is bringing some pretty long-overdue features to the phone app. One is Call Screening, which uses on-device AI to let unknown callers announce themselves while you decide whether to pick up. And if you’re stuck on hold, Hold Assist will notify you when a real person gets on the line.

Google’s Pixel phones have long had call screening and hold-for-me features, but Apple’s now catching up, it seems. – Kelechi

/3. A new (and better) gaming hub

As a gamer, I've always felt like Apple's Game Centre was an afterthought. But with the new Apple Games app coming with iOS 26, it seems Apple is finally ready to build a real gaming hub. Apple says the new game app will track all your titles, show ongoing events, pull in Apple Arcade content, and even sync with your friends’ activity.

This update makes one wonder if Apple wants to be taken seriously in mobile gaming again, especially as more AAA titles land on iPhones (like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Death Stranding). – Kelechi

/4. Real-Time Translation

If you're talking to someone who speaks a different language, whether on FaceTime, Messages, or even Phone calls, Apple's new Real-Time Translation should help keep the conversation flowing.

You speak, they hear it in their language, and vice versa, all happening instantly. The privacy aspect is interesting too, they're emphasising that all this translation happens right on your device, keeping your conversations entirely private. – Chivu

/5. Visual Intelligence: your screen, made smarter

Your iPhone screen may get a major boost with Visual Intelligence. Now, you can interact with what's on display in new ways, ask ChatGPT questions about on-screen content, or search for similar products on Google or Etsy. It can even intelligently recognise events and suggest adding them to your calendar, pre-filling key details. – Chivu

/6. Express yourself with Genmoji and Image Playground

Then there's the fun part of expressing yourself. With Genmoji and Image Playground, it sounds like they're giving us new tools to get creative. Think of it as your own personalised emoji factory, where you can mix your favourite icons, emotions, or even descriptions to create unique visuals and emojis that are truly yours. It sounds like a playful way to communicate. – Chivu

/7. Smarter shortcuts and order tracking

Beyond the creative, there's a big push for efficiency. Shortcuts gain "intelligent actions," handling nuanced tasks like writing tools or image creation. For example, if you get an email about a delivery, Apple Intelligence can automatically pull out the order details and show you tracking updates, all in one place, and even for purchases not made through Apple Pay. – Chivu

/8. CarPlay made better

Moving to the car, Enhancements to CarPlay aim to make your iPhone experience while driving even smoother and safer. iOS 26 brings a compact view for incoming calls, Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages, plus widgets and Live Activities to keep you informed without distraction. "CarPlay Ultra" promises an even deeper, unified experience across car screens. – Chivu

/9. Updates to Apple Music, Apple Wallet & Maps

Familiar apps may be evolving to be more intuitive. Apple Music adds Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation, along with "AutoMix" for seamless DJ-like song transitions.

Apple Wallet may also streamline interactions with payment instalments/rewards and refreshed boarding passes, offering Live Activities for real-time flight updates. While Maps should get smarter, learning your commute, proactively suggesting routes, and remembering "Visited Places," all while ensuring privacy. – Chivu

/ 10. Enhanced Parental Controls

Finally, Parental Controls could be more robust. Parents can more easily manage Child Accounts with expanded features across communication limits, safety, and App Store approvals, including parental approvals for contact requests and blurring sensitive content. – Chivu

Conclusion

With iOS 26, Apple doesn't seem to be promising a revolution. And that might be the smartest thing it’s done in years. After setting sky-high expectations with Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, this year’s update feels restrained, even humble.

That’s not to say it’s boring, as there are plenty of new features to like here, like the Call Screening, game app, and the Liquid Glass interface for iOS 26

The public beta for iOS 26 begins in July, with a full rollout expected in September for iPhone XS and newer. Some features (especially AI-driven ones) may still be region-limited or roll out in phases.