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IOS 26
2025 mobile operating system made by Apple From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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iOS 26 is the nineteenth and the next major release of Apple's iOS operating system for the iPhone. It was announced on June 9, 2025, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC),[2] and is expected to be released mid September 2025.
It is the direct successor to iOS 18; its version number was brought forward to 26 due to a newly-announced policy of unified version numbers for Apple operating systems, which are now based on the year that follows their release (similarly to vehicle model years).[3][4]
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Features
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System features
User interface
iOS 26 introduces a unified neumorphic 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 would react to motion, content, and inputs. It also 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). Multiple apps (including the camera and Safari) have redesigned user interfaces to reflect the new design language.[5][6]
Home screen and lock screen
Widgets on the lock screen can also be placed at the bottom, rather than necessarily at the top below the time. 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.
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
- A new, less aggressive energy-saving mode known as Adaptive mode has been introduced which is used when device usage is higher than normal. It makes minor adjustments, like reducing screen brightness or slowing down processes, without blocking background activities as the traditional 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, 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
- 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.[7]
- Head Tracking allows the user to control the pointer on the screen by tracking head movements and perform customized actions based on facial movements (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
iOS 26 introduces new Apple Intelligence features; Apple Intelligence models were made more efficient and support additional languages.[8] It will support live translation of voice and text conversations using on-device models, while Genmoji can now be invoked to merge existing emojis together rather than needing to use a prompt.[9][6]
Visual Intelligence and Image Playground also features additional ChatGPT integration.[9]
The Foundation Models framework allows Apple Intelligence features to be integrated into third-party apps; Apple stated that a Swift app can implement the framework in as little as three lines of code.[8]
Voice Dictation
One can now spell out a word when dictating, which is helpful for complex or unrecognized words.
Always-On Display (AOD)
Wallpaper Blur for AOD is a setting lets the user apply a blur effect to the wallpaper image of the AOD.
Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi Aware: introduced the 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.
- Captive Assist: when the user accesses a public Wi-Fi network on an Apple device by filling out a web form, this information is automatically shared with the other Apple devices, making it easier to connect to the same network.
Keyboard
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
In the General section of the Settings app there is 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 bottom-left corner of the screen.
- HDR captures: it is now possible to capture HDR screenshots and screen recordings.
eSIM transfer with Android
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
Phone
- Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers to determine if they’re 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’s passed through and the phone rings.
- Hold Assist lets one put a call on hold and notify the caller when they're ready to resume the conversation.
- Tap Recents to Call is a setting when disabled prevents accidental calls from being made by tapping a name or number in one'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, delivering a vibration when the call is answered on the other end.
- From the recent calls page it is possible to create a reminder to remember to recall that number, in 1 hour, tonight, tomorrow, later.
Messages
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 the text in a message, instead of the entire message.
- Spam messages from unknown senders are automatically recognized and moved to a separate list.
- One can activate translation in real time, to make sure that everything written in one language is sent as a message written in another language.
Music
- The user can pin favorite songs or albums at the top of the library.
- Translation and pronunciation of live lyrics allows one to understand the lyrics of the songs in other languages and to sing them even if said person doesn't know the pronunciation.
- AutoMix switches from one song to another using Time Stretching and Beat Matching techniques to get a more continuous mix.
- One 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
The changes to the Photos app in iOS 18 are reverted. In its place is a new layout with a command bar at the bottom that allows the user to quickly switch to the Library, Collections, Search.
- It is possible to apply a 3D effect to a photo in order to make it appear that the subjects represented come out of the screen when the phone moves. This is the same visionOS technology that has been brought to the iPhone.
Camera
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 the need for 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
The Notes app can record and transcribe calls into notes, while Markdown is added as an export option.[10]
Reminders
It is possible to add the Reminders control to the Control Center, allowing the user to quickly create a reminder directly from there.
Maps
- 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 check manually.
- The user can save the favorite places that they visit, such as bars or parks, so as to find them immediately.
Safari
- A third "Compact" (floating) style has been added for the tabs, alongside the existing "Tab Bar" (bottom) and "Single Tab" (top) styles.
- Added support for HDR images and SVG icons.[11]
Files
- 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 that needs to open that file type.
- The user can directly use audio files (MP3, M4A, etc.) as ringtones by selecting the file, tapping Share, and choosing "Use as Ringtone".
Clock
The "Snooze" duration can be adjusted from 1 to 15 minutes. The buttons to stop or snooze the alarm are displayed in large size for easier access when waking up.
Calculator
Equations in 3 variables and 3D graphs are supported in Math Notes.
Passwords
- Password History allows to view previous passwords along with their change dates.
- Export Passwords allows to securely export passwords, passkeys, and verification codes to other password manager apps.
Journal
The user can create several distinct journals, rather than just one.
Podcasts
Enhance Dialogue: a new option that enhances the podcast audio by emphasizing the voice and reducing background noise and music. It is located in the menu that appears to adjust the podcast speed.
Home
Home only supports the redesigned Apple Home architecture introduced in iOS 16 and ends support for the legacy architecture.[12]
Games
A new Games app provides an interface to games from App Store and Apple Arcade, as well as Game Center social features.[6][13]
Apple Wallet
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.[14][15]
Shortcuts
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
Wired accessories permission
In the privacy and security settings, there is a new permission that 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, always allow.
Blocked contacts
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
Recovery Assistant is a feature that allows the iPhone to automatically attempt to recover if the device fails to start up successfully.[16]
Quantum-secure TLS
TLS 1.3 in iOS 26 uses a key exchange based on Quantum Security and it is enabled by default since it has already been adopted by the main service providers.[17]
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Supported devices
iOS 26 requires a device with an Apple A13 Bionic processor or newer, thus dropping support for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.[18][19] The Apple Intelligence feature requires an Apple A17 Pro processor or newer.[20][21]
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Release history
The first beta of iOS 26 was released on June 9, 2025, for developers, with a revised build of the first beta being released on June 13 for the iPhone 15 series and the iPhone 16 series.
Apple introduced new styles for the default iOS wallpaper in iOS 26 Beta 3, including Shadow, Sky, Halo, and Dusk.
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