Quick refresher: Apple is rolling out iOS 26 on September 15, 2025 alongside the iPhone 17 lineup, with the final Release Candidate already in testers’ hands. The headline is the Liquid Glass redesign—glossier, more tactile, more consistent with visionOS—plus smarter comms tools and quality-of-life upgrades across the board.
Below we made an extensive list of top 60 features to try out as soon as you get our hands on the newest iOS.
Design & Lock Screen
- Liquid Glass everywhere — The new system look makes text, sheets, and tab bars feel like layers of…well, glass. It’s not just pretty; the depth cues make hierarchy clearer at a glance.
Read more: Apple Redesigns iOS with Liquid Glass - Adaptive Time clock — Resize and reposition the Lock Screen clock so it plays nicely with widgets and wallpaper—no more “clock covering the subject’s face” moments.
How to use it: Adaptive Time on iOS 26 Lock Screen - Spatial scene wallpapers — Add parallax-y depth so photos subtly “breathe” as you tilt your iPhone. It’s tasteful, not gimmicky.
Get started: Adaptive Time guide (includes Spatial Scenes) - Official iOS 26 wallpapers (4K) — If you want the keynote look, Apple’s new wallpapers are crisp and come in Dark Mode variants.
Grab them: Download the official iOS 26 wallpapers - Refreshed Control Center — Cleaner toggles, better legibility in high-contrast/Accessibility modes, and more sensible grouping.
Hands-on notes: Beta changes callout - New ringtones + responsive wallpapers — Small delights that make the whole OS feel new again.
Spotted in later betas: Beta 8 roundup
Apple Intelligence & on-screen smarts
- Visual Intelligence — Ask your iPhone about whatever’s on the screen (think: “what building is this?” or “summarize this email”). It’s Apple’s answer to “screen understanding.”
What it does: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: 8 changes • Deep dive - Smarter notifications — More relevant surfacing and cleaner summaries, so you catch the signal and ignore the noise.
Context: RC overview (smarter notifications) - Time-to-charge estimates — Clear, consistent “ready in X minutes” cues in Control Center and on the Lock Screen.
Noted by TMO: Battery/charging tweaks roundup
Phone & calling
- Call Screening — Unknown callers get live transcripts; you decide if it’s worth picking up.
What’s new: Call screening + Hold Assist - Hold Assist — iPhone waits on hold and pings you when a human joins. Save your sanity.
More detail: WWDC highlights list - One-tap voicemail spam reporting — Triage robocalls faster and train carriers/apps without digging through menus.
Why it matters: Spam tools overview
Messages
- In-chat polls — Finally native, so you can settle dinner plans without third-party apps.
Preview: Group chats get smarter • Underrated features - Shared chat backgrounds — Customize the vibe of a thread (and sync it for everyone).
Look ahead: Messages upgrade coverage - Live Translation in Messages — Type in your language, they read in theirs. It’s the most humane translation UI Apple’s shipped.
Feature context: Apple Intelligence & comms
Heads-up for EU readers: Live Translation with AirPods is blocked if your location and Apple ID region are in the EU. If you enabled it elsewhere, it keeps working when you travel.
Details: EU restriction explained
Camera & Photos
- Redesigned Camera — Cleaner modes, faster access to the stuff you actually touch.
What’s changed: 8 big changes list - Photos, rethought — Two main tabs—Library and Collections—with saner organization. Feels modern again.
Walkthrough: WWDC features roundup - HDR screenshots & screen recordings — Your captures finally match what that bright, wide-gamut display shows.
How it works: HDR screenshot option - AirPods as camera remote — Snap photos hands-free via tap/voice; perfect for group shots or tripod framing.
Feature sighting: AirPods beta adds camera remote - Smoother performance on older phones — Even 11/12-era devices feel surprisingly spry, aside from expected battery trade-offs.
Real-world test: TMO’s “older iPhone” check
Safari & passwords
- New Safari layouts — Tab UI got a Liquid Glass refresh with a more reachable new-tab button and flexible layouts.
What changed: Beta 2 restores bottom new-tab - Double-tap to bookmark — Tiny, delightful; you’ll use it daily.
Find it in: 25 underrated features - Passwords app (built-in) — A proper first-party vault for passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi logins, and 2FA.
Guide: Using Apple’s Passwords app - Export your passkeys — No more lock-in; take your credentials with you.
Change explained: Passkeys export - One-time code Autofill expands — Works in more apps/browsers (a small thing that saves loads of time).
Coverage: Autofill to third-party apps
Control Center, power & system
- Adaptive Power Mode — iPhone intelligently trims visual flair and background activity to stretch battery when it counts.
Why it helps: Underrated feature #8 - Update “safe space” — iOS now carves out room so OS updates don’t fail mid-download.
New behavior: Storage carve-out - Reduce Liquid Glass transparency — Dial back the gleam if you want higher contrast.
Where to find it: Underrated features - Custom screen-recording lengths — Set and forget; no more 45-minute unintentional captures.
Tip:* Underrated features list - Time-to-full charging — See exactly when you can unplug and go.
Spotted by TMO: Battery tweaks round-up
Maps & travel
- Visited Places — A private, automatic list of locations you’ve been (useful for journaling or memory-jogging).
Rollout caveat (EU): Regulatory delay story
Wallet & pay
- Universal order tracking in Wallet — Tap a receipt, watch delivery progress via Live Activities—no app-hopping.
First look: Order tracking in Wallet - Digital passports (US TSA) — Store a passport for select checkpoints and app flows.
Rollout detail: Wallet-free life - Car Key adds more automakers — Wider support means more “tap to unlock & drive” moments.
Brand expansion: Car Key gets broader - Tighter Apple Pay controls — Turn off promo nags and keep wallet noise to a minimum.
Heads-up: Wallet updates story
Music & audio
- Lyrics Translation & Pronunciation — Apple Music doubles as a language coach; karaoke is suddenly educational.
Feature brief: “iPhone as karaoke mic” - Playlist folders in Music — Finally tidy up those 2013 road-trip playlists.
Where it lives: Underrated features
CarPlay & driving
- Tapbacks in CarPlay Messages — Send 👍❤️😂 from the dash without dictating a reply. Safer, faster.
Feature confirmation: CarPlay “most-wanted” feature lands - Pinned conversations in CarPlay — Keep family or work threads at the top, where they belong.
Same source: CarPlay upgrades - Auto-switch AirPods to CarPlay — Your audio just follows you into the car—no fiddling with sources.
AirPods feature list: 7 new AirPods tricks
Games & fun
- New “Games” app — A proper hub for Apple Arcade + social play, replacing the relics of Game Center.
What to expect: Games app incoming - Arcade tabs & friend activity — See what friends are playing and chase challenges in real time.
UI changes noted: 8 changes list
AirPods power-ups
- Studio-quality recording — AirPods Pro/Max double as a near-pro lav mic for video and voice. Creators, rejoice.
Feature callout: AirPods features in iOS 26 • Beta note - Camera remote (again, because it’s great) — Tap an AirPod to start/stop video or snap a photo.
How it behaves: AirPods camera remote - Sleep detection — Passive, lightweight sleep insights right from your buds.
Seen in beta: Feature rundown - Live Translation (region-limited) — Seamless ear-to-ear translations when supported (see EU note above).
EU specifics: Why it’s blocked—for now—in EU
Messages/Phone crossovers you’ll actually feel
- Unified Phone app — Recents, Favorites, Voicemail: cleaner, easier, faster to the tap.
Changed layouts: 8 noticeable changes - Better group messaging flow — Between polls and smarter replies, big chats finally feel organized, not chaotic.
Feature preview: Messages upgrade
Little things that add up
- Reduce transparency toggle — Tame Liquid Glass for a more “pro” look.
Where to tweak: Underrated features - Playlist folders (Music) — Yes, again—because organization matters.
Why it’s nice: Underrated features - Passkey export (Security) — You won’t appreciate it until you switch phones.
Explainer: Passkeys export - Autofill in more places — Less copy-pasting codes = fewer mistakes.
Coverage: Autofill expanded - Smarter RC polish — Final-build animations feel quicker and more cohesive than early betas.
RC context: How to get the RC - Order tracking in Wallet (again) — Because it’s that useful.
Deep-dive: Wallet order tracking - Digital IDs keep expanding — More states = fewer plastic cards.
Latest additions & what’s next: Wallet ID expansion - Liquid Glass customization — Don’t like the default sheen? Dial it in.
Perspective: What LG is (and isn’t) - Safari’s bottom new-tab (reachability) — One of those “once you have it, you can’t go back” tweaks.
Change log: Safari UI update - Games app social feed — A low-key way to keep up with friends’ plays without Discord-level overhead.
Noted by TMO: 8 changes list - CarPlay pinned chats — Touch it once, stop scrolling forever.
Feature confirmation: CarPlay upgrades - RC timing + public release date — The cadence looks locked: RC now, public on Sept 15.
Staying current: RC + timing • Release date article
Compatibility & caveats (worth bookmarking)
- Supported iPhones: iPhone 11 and newer (A13 Bionic or later). Some Apple Intelligence features require newer chips (A17 Pro+).
Check yours: “Will iPhone 11 get iOS 26?” • Full list + date - EU differences: Live Translation on AirPods is currently blocked if you’re in the EU and your Apple ID is set to an EU country.
Current status: EU restriction explainer
iOS 26 isn’t just a coat of paint; it’s a quiet reframing of how the iPhone feels day to day. Liquid Glass sets the vibe, but it’s the cumulative wins – smarter notifications, Call Screening and Hold Assist, a simpler Camera, the new Passwords app, Wallet order tracking – that make your phone kinder to live with. If you’re jumping in on day one, start by dialing Liquid Glass to your taste, set up the Passwords app, and flip on Call Screening.
Then try Visual Intelligence in places you already work: Mail, Messages, Maps. If you’re on older hardware, you’ll still notice the polish, and if you’re Apple-Intelligence-curious, remember some features are hardware and region gated. For dates and device support, keep our quick references handy: iOS 26 release timing, compatibility guide, and a fun primer on small wins in 25 underrated features. Update smart, back up first, and enjoy an iPhone that gets out of your way more often than it gets in it.
iOS 26 should have stayed in FAT longer. FUCK what a disgrace
iOS 26 SUCKS SERIOUS ASS!!!! Apple should piss off.