After several months of beta versions, iOS 26 has been available since September 15, 2025 for all compatible iPhones, from the SE (2nd generation) to the brand-new iPhone 17. This major update does more than just add features, it profoundly transforms the interface and capabilities of your smartphone.
A new design and reimagined communications
The “Liquid Glass” is iOS 26’s most striking visual revolution. This sophisticated optical effect brings transparency and fluidity to the lock screen, home screen, and Control Center. While Samsung and Microsoft quickly noted similarities with their existing interfaces, Apple managed to leave its mark by refining the effects throughout the beta versions for better readability.
iMessage finally catches up with the competition with six major new features:
- Conversation customization with shared wallpapers
- Integrated polls for easy planning
- Real-time typing indicators in group chats
- Partial text selection within bubbles
- Automatic filtering of unknown messages
- Direct addition of contacts from group chats
Call management also evolves with a smart filter that asks unknown callers to identify themselves before your iPhone rings, and a hold assistance feature that notifies you when it’s your turn in phone services.
Artificial intelligence and smart optimizations
Apple Intelligence expands significantly in iOS 26 with several practical innovations:
- Instant translation of SMS and FaceTime call captions
- Smart actions in Shortcuts to rephrase or summarize text
- Visual intelligence capable of analyzing the screen to answer questions
- Image generation via the Playground generator
Battery life receives special attention with an adaptive management mode (on iPhone 15 Pro and later) that automatically adjusts certain settings to extend battery life. The long-awaited addition of remaining charge time display, both on the lock screen and in Settings, meets a longstanding user demand.
CarPlay experiences its biggest update in years with the introduction of widgets, quick Tapback replies, Live Activities display, and video playback (only while parked) via AirPlay. The interface also adopts the Liquid Glass design for a more modern experience.
Finally, iOS 26 keeps Apple on its long-term support policy, compatible from the iPhone SE (2nd generation) to the iPhone 11. The unusual numbering (iOS 26 instead of 19) is explained by Apple’s effort to align all its systems with the release year.
