Apple has officially unveiled iOS 26, marking the biggest iPhone software redesign in years. The tech giant has jumped from iOS 18 straight to 26 to align its OS versions with the calendar year. Headlining the update is the new Liquid Glass design language, a shimmering, dynamic UI inspired by visionOS that makes the interface feel vivid and tactile.


Beyond the visuals, Visual Intelligence gets a boost with a new on-screen search tool similar to Google’s Circle to Search, and integrated ChatGPT support. Apple also introduced a Games app, centralizing game discovery, events, and social features in one destination for mobile gamers.



Other highlights include revamped CarPlay with widgets and compact alerts, a smarter Phone app with call screening and Hold Assist, and Messages updates like AI-generated chat backgrounds and built-in polls. The iOS 26 developer beta launches today, with a public beta next month and the final release scheduled for fall. It’s a bold, feature-packed overhaul that’s setting the stage for the next chapter of iOS.


