All the things to know concerning the free iPhone software program replace

[ad_1] It is lastly right here: Now you can obtain iOS 26 in your iPhone — Apple's different new working methods are additionally out there. The primary noticeable factor after putting in the brand new OS? A brand new clear design language that Apple dubs Liquid Glass. The translucent look could be discovered inside apps in addition to your lock and residential screens. (If you happen to do not prefer it, there is a option to scale back the transparency.) The overhaul is one in all a number of huge modifications that include iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and the remainder of Apple's software program suite.

You will additionally see a number of helpful additions within the Telephone and Messages apps. For example, the power to weed out spam texts or unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a cellphone name if you've been ready for a consultant to choose up. And for enjoyable, now you can create polls in group texts. Different new enhancements coming embrace a confirmed AirPods dwell translation characteristic, and a brand new bouncy animation on the passcode display and within the Management Middle.

If you do not have a suitable cellphone however plan to improve, Apple unveiled a number of new fashions at its iPhone 17 occasion — that features the brand new iPhone 17 lineup and the all-new ultra-thin iPhone Air. If you happen to missed the keynote, you possibly can compensate for every thing Apple introduced right here or rewatch the total iPhone 17 launch. The corporate rounded out its bulletins with three new Apple Watch fashions, in addition to the brand-new AirPods Professional 3.

Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26. We have rounded up a full listing of recent options you may have to take a look at.

What's iOS 26 and may I obtain iOS 18.7 first? As a substitute of releasing iOS 19, Apple skipped its naming conference forward to iOS 26. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, much like automotive mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working methods have been launched in 2025, they're all designated "26" to replicate the yr forward.

Apple additionally launched iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26 to deal with safety points — nice information if you do not have a cellphone that is eligible to run the newest OS. If you happen to're questioning which one to obtain first, it is actually as much as you. Do you need to look forward to Apple to quash any bugs in iOS 26 or would you like entry to all the brand new options everybody's speaking about now?

It is official, we're shifting to iOS 26. (Apple)

What's Liquid Glass design? Let's be trustworthy. Out of every thing introduced at WWDC this yr, the brand new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone's house and lock screens have regarded just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your personal aesthetic to your house display by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens' new facelift is refreshing.

So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a "new translucent materials" since, effectively, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You will additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Telephone and Maps. They're designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless straightforward to see.

Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget's Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new course, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft's translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.

That mentioned, whereas it was in beta mode, Apple included some consumer suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in at the least some locations. And whereas it'll proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not have the ability to escape it: The corporate says Liquid Glass was designed to make all of its platforms extra cohesive.

This is a have a look at how the translucent aesthetic appears to be like with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.

Easy methods to flip iOS 26 Liquid Glass settings off If you happen to discover you do not like the brand new clear take care of downloading iOS 26, you possibly can change a pair Accessibility settings, although you possibly can't fully flip off Liquid Glass. For starters, you possibly can scale back the liquid look by going to Settings > Accessibility > Movement > toggle on Scale back Movement.

You can also make your drop-down menus extra opaque as a substitute of translucent by going to Settings >Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement > toggle on Scale back Transparency.

You may also change your clear apps again to the way in which they have been. Simply press and maintain any app in your display and choose Edit Dwelling Display screen. From right here, faucet Edit (high left) and Customise. You'll be able to swap out to Default, Darkish or Tinted.

What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26? iOS 26 has a laundry listing of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Telephone app redesign: Now you can scroll by means of contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic known as Maintain Help that'll notify you when an agent involves the cellphone so you possibly can keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Reside Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 brings the power to have a dialog through cellphone name, FaceTime or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Reside Translation makes use of Apple Intelligence and it'll translate your dialog in actual time, which leads to some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Uninterested in sorting by means of what looks like a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your mates can now create polls in group messages to determine issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you are taking on a street journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not acquired spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who've, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.

Visible Intelligence: Just like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will help you seek for something that is in your iPhone display. For example, in case you spot a pair of footwear somebody is carrying in an Instagram photograph, you possibly can screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to seek out these footwear (or related ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who's been annoyed with final yr's modifications to the Photographs app, you may be completely satisfied to know that your tabs are again. Library and Collections have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to seek out what you are on the lookout for.

Digital camera app updates: Navigating the Digital camera app must be less complicated in iOS 26, as all of the buttons and menus are in handy spots — much less swiping, extra photograph taking. Plus, there is a new characteristic that tells you in case your lens must be cleaned.

FaceTime "Communication Security" characteristic: A more recent addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime "Communication Security" characteristic that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a toddler security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

New lock display choices: The iPhone lock display is extra customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper results, extra widgets and higher focus mode choices.

New alarm setting: You will now not be caught with the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms. As a substitute, you now have the choice to vary your snooze time from one to fifteen minutes.

Screenshots look completely different: You will discover a number of new options if you take a screenshot, together with "spotlight to look," the choice to look your picture on Google and ChatGPT is there for any questions you will have concerning the picture.

Preview on iOS 26: There is a new app known as Preview that permits you to scan paperwork, fill out PDF kinds, in addition to spotlight, underline or strike by means of textual content in a PDF file. You may also take away backgrounds from photographs on this app.

Apple's Maintain Help will probably be nifty for these pesky companies that put you on maintain for 10 or extra minutes. (Apple)

New modifications with iPadOS 26 Your iPad is not getting left behind with regards to huge updates. This is what to search for.

Multitasking and actual windowing: Whenever you obtain the most recent replace, you'll have a number of apps operating in your display on the identical time. When you open an app, it will seem in your display as regular however you'll resize and transfer it throughout your display to make room for different apps. This characteristic is non-obligatory so you possibly can flip it off in case you do not prefer it.

Visible replace: Together with the opposite new OSes, iPadOS 26 additionally has the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look seems on the lock and residential screens, in addition to the drop-down menus.

New menu bar: Whenever you swipe down in your display, the brand new menu bar will seem with choices like File, Edit, Home windows and extra. There's additionally a search choice in case you're on the lookout for one thing particular.

There's extra past that, so you'll want to try our first impressions of iPadOS 26.

What about AirPods? AirPods are additionally getting up to date with iOS 26. Listed below are a few of the extra notable features.

Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this "studio-quality" audio recording, and with it, you may discover extra readability whereas in noisy environments.

Digital camera distant management: Utilizing this, you possibly can take a photograph or begin and cease video recording with only one press in your AirPods. When taking images, you may get a three-second countdown earlier than your iPhone or iPad snaps the image.

Reside translation characteristic: Reside translation is on the market on AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC when paired with iPhones operating iOS 26. Apple says that when somebody speaks to you in a distinct language, you should utilize your AirPods to translate what they’re saying.

Coronary heart fee monitoring: Apple launched new AirPods Professional 3 earbuds this month, which embrace coronary heart fee monitoring. It should work with Apple's Well being app and different health apps that monitor coronary heart charges.

Did Siri get an replace? Siri is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level "within the coming yr," so that you should not count on any main modifications proper now. However there are studies that Apple is aiming to offer Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal yr. The corporate can also be reportedly engaged on a "stripped-down" AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Which iPhones will have the ability to improve to iOS 26? A couple of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — aren't suitable with the newest improve. However any iPhones from 2019 or later will probably be eligible for iOS 26:

iPhone SE (second technology or later)

When to obtain iOS 26? iOS 26 has formally been launched to the general public totally free at the moment, September 15.

If you happen to're extra within the new Apple Intelligence options, this is every thing Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots may very well be an intriguing preview of Apple's delayed Siri rework.

Replace, September 16: Added particulars about modifying Liquid Glass settings, and new information concerning the Preview app.

Replace, September 15: Famous iOS 26 is formally out there for obtain.

Replace, September 12: Famous iOS 26 is coming to eligible iPhones in only a few days, timing TBD.

Replace, September 11: Added the merchandise Apple launched at its Tuesday occasion and famous when iOS 26 will probably be out there to obtain.

Replace, September 9: Famous the iPhone occasion is beginning quickly.

Replace, September 8: Famous the iPhone 17 occasion is tomorrow.

Replace, September 4: Added particulars about how screenshots are completely different in iOS 26.

Replace, September 3: Famous Apple is predicted to launch iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26.

Replace, September 2: Added extra new options coming with iOS 26.

Replace, August 29: Added new part about Siri and a hyperlink to what's new with the iOS 26 Digital camera app.

Replace, August 27: Added the official iPhone 17 occasion date, in addition to the potential iOS 26 launch.

Replace, August 25: Added a rumor about new AirPods Professional having coronary heart fee monitoring.

Replace, August 22: Famous that Apple has formally stopped signing iOS 18.6.

Replace, August 20: Famous that iOS 26 public beta 4 and iOS 18.6.2 at the moment are out there to obtain.

Replace, August 18: Added particulars a couple of potential iOS 18.6 replace.

Replace, August 15: Added to hyperlink to what to anticipate on the Apple iPhone occasion and particulars about what's out there within the iOS 26 screenshots editor.