WWDC 2025: Apple Declares iOS 26 With New Liquid Glass Design, Apple Intelligence Enhancements and Extra

iOS 26 was unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) 2025 on Monday. The corporate previewed a number of new options and synthetic intelligence (AI) capabilities that may quickly be accessible on iPhone. One of the vital notable adjustments is to the design language of the OS. Apple has launched a brand new UI dubbed Liquid Glass, which bundles glass-like iconography and different parts. The newest model of iOS may also carry Apple Intelligence options and a unified interface within the Cellphone app, up to date Digicam app format, typing indicators in Messages, new CarPlay options, and extra, when it’s rolled out on eligible iPhone fashions later this 12 months.

iOS 26 Appropriate Fashions

Apple says iOS 26 will likely be provided as a free over-the-air (OTA) software program replace for iPhone 11 and later handsets. Nevertheless, the Apple Intelligence options will likely be restricted to the iPhone 16 collection and iPhone 15 Professional fashions.

Registered Apple builders can obtain iOS 26 on their gadgets and begin testing out the brand new options. A public beta will likely be accessible by way of the Apple Beta Software program Program subsequent month.

Visible Enhancements in iOS 26

In keeping with Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Software program Engineering at Apple, Liquid Glass in iOS 26 is a brand new translucent materials that displays and refracts its surrounding visible parts. It’s applied throughout controls, navigation, app icons, and widgets within the OS. This new design language brings new customisation choices for the house and lock screens, enabling customers to customize app icons and widgets with a brand new clear look.

Picture Credit score: Apple

On the iPhone’s lock display screen, the time widget now adapts to the free house in a picture, shrinking and increasing routinely. In the meantime, there’s additionally a 3D impact which seems when customers transfer their iPhone.

iOS 26 additionally features a streamlined format within the Digicam app, separate tab for Library and Collections views within the Photographs app, flowing net pages in Safari, and a redesigned tab bar in apps like Apple Music, Information and Podcasts. This bar is claimed to drift close to the highest and dynamically shrink to spotlight the content material on the display screen.

Apple Intelligence Updates

Constructing upon the introduction of Apple Intelligence options on iPhone from final 12 months, Apple is increasing upon its capabilities. It has launched Reside Translation which is built-in in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Cellphone. Powered by the corporate’s proprietary on-device AI fashions, this function routinely interprets textual content and audio in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese language, and different languages.

Picture Credit score: Apple

Updates to Visible Intelligence, Apple’s different for Google’s Circle-to-Search, allow customers to ask ChatGPT questions on what they’re at the moment taking a look at on their display screen. They’ll additionally seek for comparable photos and merchandise on Google, Etsy, and different supported apps. Additional, it routinely recognises if a consumer is taking a look at an occasion and suggests them so as to add it to their calendar with date, time, and different key particulars.

Apple has additionally launched AI-powered shortcuts and devoted actions for Writing Instruments and Picture Playground. The corporate’s AI mannequin also can determine and summarise particulars, equivalent to bill in emails acquired from retailers. Customers also can combine their favorite emojis, Genmojis, and descriptions for distinctive creations. In the meantime, the brand new Basis Fashions framework offers builders entry to Apple’s on-device basis mannequin which powers Apple Intelligence.

Adjustments to Apps

Apple has revamped the Cellphone app with a unified format which mixes the Favourites, Recents, and Voicemails tabs. It additionally takes benefit of Name Screening which makes use of Reside Voicemail to assemble data from the caller, enabling the recipient to resolve whether or not they want to choose it up. However, Maintain Help can turn out to be useful when the consumer is caught on maintain, notifying them when the individual on the opposite finish of the road, equivalent to an agent, is offered.

With iOS 26, customers can display screen messages from unknown senders within the Messages app, which seem in a devoted folder and stay silenced except chosen in any other case. Customers also can create polls, generate backgrounds for chats utilizing Apple Intelligence, and see typing indicators in group chats.

There are Lyrics Translation and Lyrics Pronunciation options in Apple Music, together with an AutoMix function that makes use of AI to seamlessly transition from one observe to the following utilizing time stretching and beat matching. In the meantime, Apple Maps will get a function dubbed Visited Locations which allows the consumer to recollect the locations they have been. Apple says iPhone can use on-device AI to analyse their each day route and current them with a most popular possibility, whereas additionally notifying them of potential delays.

Along with updates, Apple has launched a brand new app dubbed Apple Video games. It’s claimed to behave as a one-stop-shop for all gaming wants of iPhone customers. It presents customers with an outline of the actions of their video games together with main occasions. Additional, they’ll additionally launch the sport from the app and change between them.

New CarPlay Options

With iOS 26, Apple has introduced a compact view for incoming calls in CarPlay. It lets customers verify who’s calling them with out lacking out on upcoming instructions. The replace additionally brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages, together with widgets and Reside Actions.

Additions to AirPods

Apple says iOS 26 expands upon the prevailing capabilities of its TWS merchandise, specifically the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Professional (2nd era). Interviewers, podcasters, singers, and others can now document audio with clearer high quality utilizing the studio high quality audio recording function. Apple guarantees “extra pure vocal texture and readability” throughout telephone calls on the iPhone.

In the meantime, the brand new digital camera distant function permits the AirPods to operate as a digital camera shutter; a easy press and maintain of the AirPods stem takes a photograph through the native Digicam app or some other third-party app. It could possibly additionally begin or cease a video recording on an iPhone.