Liquid Glass is a huge new change coming to iOS 26. (Apple)
Apple aficionados, brace yourselves! Forget about iOS 19 because iOS 26 lands on your iPhones this fall with a tsunami of awesomeness. Dive into the “Liquid Glass,” a gorgeous and uniform revamp of the home-and-lock screen that will offer a new twist in the Apple way. If it was a mere update, then think again; a grand visualization revolution was unleashed upon iOS, macOS, and iPadOS during WWDC on June 9. If you are a developer, get dirty with Beta 2 now, while consumers will see a public beta release in July. Surf’s up!
WWDC 2024: Apple Tames AI Hype, Unleashes iPhone’s Hidden Potential
Hey, forget about flying cars. Apple’s latest iOS update is all about your sanity, one tap at a time. Whereas AI promises were soft-pedalled a smidge, the true magic, so to speak, is in the mundane.
Prepare for a revolution in phone calling and messaging. Imagine a world where spam messages will no more clutter your inbox – Apple is working on it. Tired of elevator music? Soon, iOS will place hold for you and free you from suffering through endless purgatory of phone calls.
But the best part? Mostly loved and in essence left abandoned in the digital ether of the Photos app, it is experiencing a triumphant return. Prepare to revisit a cherished classic.
Fall is going for an upgrade on the iPhone! A whole troop of sexy new features is about to land on the shelves, and you must not miss out. Are you ready to see what will come along? Also, find out if your iPhone made it to the iOS 26 party (spoiler alert: Most probably it has!).
What is iOS 26?
Let’s not talk about iOS 19, 20, or even 25! The big surprise of the year is that this time, Apple is pulling a fast one and jumping directly up to iOS 26. It is the latest circumnavigation of the numbering system by revving toward a time-based one. Late 2025 will be the perfect ushering-in of iOS and its sibling systems to mark the 26th age, in tune with the feel of the futuristic 2026. This is a huge leap in and of itself, akin to the concept of a model year in the automotive world, thereby laying an advanced tech-term foundation for 2026.
It’s official, we’re moving to iOS 26. (Apple)
What is Liquid Glass design?
WWDC 2024: * The announcement of Liquid Glass truly stole the show. For years, our personal iPhones have been greeted by so much home and lock screen alike: an accidental almost-static design. Remember that excitement of finally starting to personalize our digital space with apps and widgets? Liquid Glass sits in a class of its own as a fresh, fluid takeover over our dormant screens.*
Apple calls it the translucent interface that blurs the division between apps and reality: Liquid Glass. Widgets could thus shimmer on your screen, adapting with the ambient light from bright-white to darkly elegant. However, the real magic lies in those scarcely perceivable buttons: There are barely perceptible buttons, faintly raised, on the apps for Phone and Maps, whose design was meant to be seen rather than shouted at, gently nudging rather than jarring alerting. Presently, the design world is still split between the merits of the ethereal design, with some suggesting a correlation to the Aero design of Windows Vista, but anyone not quite willing to commit is charmed by what it means to user experience. Has it moved forward or moved back? Choose for yourself.
True to whispers, iOS 26 beta 2 gives a backstage peek into Liquid Glass, Apple’s ambitious design language. Good news for those having trouble with the initial transparency: Apple is already iterating on the formula based on user feedback and easing the see-through in particular spots. Of course, the Liquid Glass is still there. Think of it as the glue that glues together the entire Apple ecosystem, and macOS Tahoe 26 will be the first to experience the translucent effects. This is going to transform the desktop experience into an opaque one.
What are the new and notable features of iOS 26?
iOS 26 has a laundry list of new features. Among the most worthwhile:
Endless taps and screen switches just to find a contact or check a voicemail? Welcome to a fresh new redesign, putting everything you could need – contacts, recent calls, and voicemails – elegantly on one single screen. But wait, that’s just half the story! Presenting Hold Assist, your new besieged ears’ best friend. No more torture with elevator… music! This smart baby nudges you while a live agent comes on line, letting you liberate yourself onto another task instead of being held in bondage by the hold button. Reclaim your time and embrace the bliss of the phone app.
Imagine effortlessly chatting across continents; language differences melting away in realtime. With iOS 26, the vision becomes a reality. Live Translation has been heralded by Apple as a groundbreaking feature that will enhance communications over Phone, FaceTime, and Messages.
The demos hint towards a potentially staggered flow, but the other side is too great to be ignored. Picture, for example, ordering real paella from a chef in Barcelona, bargaining a deal with a supplier in Tokyo, or simply shutting the portals to an overseasonly dialect. iOS 26 is not an ordinary update; rather, it is a gateway towards a more interconnected world.
Group Chat Gridlock? Polls to the Rescue!
Can’t differentiate group chat messages among those for brunch? Fear no more! You and your friends will soon be able to forgo all that scrolling and just pop a quick poll into the chat to decide things easily. What used to be arguments for brunch choices and whose ride takes the road are about to become easy and fast decisions!
Roiled by spam texts? Unpaidtoll scams got below your skin? There is some relief on the way! Therefore, the Messages app will now filter those spam solicitations and place them in a separate folder away from the main inbox. Consider it a digital form of feng shuia respite from the incessant ring of scammer pings.
Spotted something amazing on your iPhone? Screenshot it! The revolutionary Visual Intelligence feature allows one to convert pictures into search queries. See those killer sneakers on an Insta post? Screenshot that; Visual Intelligence will find the original shoes or almost identical alternatives for you from all over the web. It’s like having a reverseimage search as a superpower inherent in your phone!
Photo Organization Bliss Returns! There used to be endless scrolling through image galleries on your phone, didn’t there? Goodbye to any such frustration now! The much loved photo tabs are coming in full force. So, say hello to spaces allocated for your Library and Collections so finding thatperfectshot will be smooth. No scrolling anymore, just being joyful with pictures!
No longer worry about hold music! Apple’s new Help with Hold feature saves you from phone hanging! Restore your time and mental peace–Apple has got your call covered.
Which iPhones will be able to upgrade to iOS 26?
Heads up for iPhone users! If your iPhone model is iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, iOS 26 shall be the end. But fear not, my people of iPhone! Any iPhone that has come out from 2019 onward will be a go for the iOS 26 rocket ship!
- iPhone SE (second generation or later)
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
In barely two months, the whispers on the streets of September will announce the fast approach of a new iPhone. Is it going to be the sleek iPhone 17? Or will it break away and jump into iPhone 26 land? Just marking it down in your calendar will not suffice.
When will the iOS 26 beta be available?
Want to be the first to experience the future of iOS?The public beta of iOS 26 will be dropped this July via Apple Beta Software Program. Experience those revolutionary features beforehand!
Ready for action?Rush to beta.apple.com and sign up; no charges apply! All you need is to register an account attached to your phone number or email. Then, get ready to be blown away by an entirely new and more elevated mobile experience. Do you really want to miss shaping the nextgen iOS?
Are you ready to try out iOS 26? Once your invitation arrives, just tap your way into the beta by heading toSettings>General>Software Update, where you’ll see an option for theiOS 26 public beta. Gear up for the times ahead!
Beta Software Alert: Proceed with Caution!
On your trusty iPhone? If test-drives are in your mind, think twice before crashing that primary device with any potential bug, glitch, or crash! Maybe it’s alright on a secondary device so your daily driver would remain stable. Not for the faint-hearted is this beta life.
When will the final version of iOS 26 be released?
Save the date, Apple followers! This fall, iOS 26 is speculated to be ousted in September just after the annual iPhone event. If events of the previous years stand witness, expect rather a quick deployment. Last year witnessed iPhone owners celebrating the arrival of iOS 25 on September 16, barely seven days after the unveiling of the iPhone 15 series. So, start upgrading!
Dive Deeper into Apple Intelligence:
Update, June 25: Noted changes added in iOS 26 beta 2.
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