What’s New in iOS 26 – Overview ?
✨ What’s New in iOS 26 – Overview
New “Liquid Glass” Design
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A fresh translucent, refraction-rich aesthetic across Lock Screen, Home Screen, apps, Control Center—reactive to motion and background reddit.com+15apple.com+15businessinsider.com+15.
Apple Intelligence (AI) Features
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Live Translation: Real-time voice and text translation in Phone, Messages, FaceTime—runs on-device theverge.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4ourmidland.com+4.
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Visual Intelligence / GenMoji: Analyze screenshots or camera input to summon actions (shopping links), create custom emojis with ChatGPT feel thesun.ie+4en.wikipedia.org+4indiatimes.com+4.
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AI in Shortcuts: Summaries, image creation, Q&A woven into automation tasks reddit.com.
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Smart Reminders: Automatically extract to-dos, shopping lists, schedules from emails .
App Enhancements & Productivity
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Messages: Chat backgrounds, polls, group typing indicators, Apple Cash transfers en.wikipedia.org+1businessinsider.com+1.
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Phone App: Redesigned interface with Call Screening, Hold Assist (spam filters, AI call management) laptopmag.com+3theverge.com+3businessinsider.com+3.
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CarPlay: Mirror video (YouTube, Apple TV+) while parked, live activity widgets, Tapback, CarPlay Ultra controls apple.gadgethacks.com+29to5mac.com+2thescottishsun.co.uk+2.
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Apple Music: Inline lyric translations, pronunciation guides, AutoMix transitions macrumors.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4ourmidland.com+4.
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Maps: On-device AI suggests commute routes, delay alerts, “Visited Places” overview macrumors.com+3businessinsider.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3.
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Wallet: More dynamic boarding passes, real-time flight info, US digital passport support en.wikipedia.org.
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Photos: Tab-based UI restoration (Library/Collections), spatial parallax effect youtube.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2apple.com+2.
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Notes: Call transcription into notes and Markdown export en.wikipedia.org+1laptopmag.com+1.
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New Apple Games App: Central hub for games across devices, with social and event integration youtube.com+12apple.com+12en.wikipedia.org+12.
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Accessibility: New Accessibility Reader, Braille display support, enhanced Live Listen and Personal Voice techcrunch.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2thescottishsun.co.uk+2.
🔒 Safety & Parental Controls
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Greater oversight for kids: parental approval for new chats, automatic nudity-blurring tools, improved age-based content filtering apple.com+1timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1.
📱 Device Compatibility
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iOS 26 supports iPhone 11 onward and SE (2nd gen) and newer reddit.com+159to5mac.com+15thesun.ie+15.
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However, advanced Apple Intelligence features (Live Translation, Visual AI, GenMoji) require iPhone 15 Pro or newer due to hardware demands apple.gadgethacks.com+8macrumors.com+8indiatimes.com+8.
🗓 Release Timeline
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Developers: Developer Beta already available since June 9, 2025 appleinsider.com+7developer.apple.com+7apple.gadgethacks.com+7.
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Public Beta: Expected mid-July 2025 apple.gadgethacks.com+1tomsguide.com+1.
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Full Public Release: Likely in September 2025, aligning with typical Apple fall rollout schedule tomsguide.com.
🥇 Coming in Spring 2026: Siri Upgrade
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A major Siri overhaul—offering deeper context awareness and screen-based intelligence—now postponed to iOS 26.4, expected in Spring 2026 (likely March) theverge.com.
✅ Should You Install the Beta?
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Developers can experiment already, but the beta may contain bugs—avoid installing on your primary device macrumors.com+2apple.gadgethacks.com+2tomsguide.com+2.
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Public beta coming in July for broader testing.
Summary Table
| Feature | Compatible Devices |
|---|---|
| Liquid Glass design | All supported iPhones (11 & newer) |
| Core app enhancements | All supported iPhones |
| AI-powered features (Live Translation, GenMoji, Visual AI) | iPhone 15 Pro, 16, 17 |
| Siri Contextual Upgrade | All future devices (iOS 26.4, Spring 2026) |
If you're eager to explore the new UI, app improvements, or Parental Controls, the beta is ready for compatible devices. But for full AI magic, you'll need the latest iPhones. Apple will release the public beta in July and the official update in September, with an enhanced Siri rolling out in early 2026.
Let me know if you want help joining the beta or need a feature walkthrough!
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