The whole lot to know concerning the free iPhone software program replace

The brand new iOS 26 is finally available to download in your iPhone — have you ever accomplished it but? You may discover a slew of adjustments once you do, together with a brand new clear design language that Apple dubs Liquid Glass. The translucent look may be discovered inside apps in addition to your lock and residential screens. (If you happen to do not prefer it, there is a approach to reduce the transparency.) The overhaul is one in every of a number of huge adjustments that include iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite — the brand new working system updates for these devices are also available to download now.

You may additionally see a number of helpful additions within the Cellphone and Messages apps. As an illustration, the power to weed out spam texts or unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a telephone name once 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 live translation feature, and a brand new bouncy animation on the passcode display and within the Management Middle.

If you do not have a suitable telephone 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 (try our hands-on review). If you happen to missed the keynote, you may make amends for everything Apple announced here or rewatch the full iPhone 17 launch. The corporate rounded out its bulletins with three new Apple Watch fashions, in addition to the brand-new AirPods Pro 3.

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

What’s iOS 26 and will 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 programs had been launched in 2025, they’re all designated “26” to mirror the 12 months forward.

Apple additionally launched iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26 to deal with safety points — nice information if you do not have a telephone that is eligible to run the most recent 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?

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be trustworthy. Out of every thing introduced at WWDC this 12 months, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s house and lock screens have appeared just about the identical 12 months after 12 months — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your personal aesthetic to your property 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 material” since, nicely, the apps and widgets are clear. Nonetheless, the display can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You may additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Cellphone 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 harking back to Microsoft’s translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from practically twenty years in the past.

That mentioned, whereas it was in beta mode, Apple incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing again the transparency in no less than some locations. And whereas it can proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable to escape it: The corporate says Liquid Glass was designed to make all of its platforms extra cohesive.

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

Find out how 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 may change a pair Accessibility settings, although you may’t fully flip off Liquid Glass. For starters, you may cut back the liquid look by going to Settings > Accessibility > Movement > toggle on Cut 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 Dimension > toggle on Cut back Transparency.

You may as well change your clear apps again to the way in which they had been. Simply press and maintain any app in your display and choose Edit House Display. From right here, faucet Edit (high left) and Customise. You may 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:

Cellphone app redesign: Now you can scroll via contacts, current 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 telephone so you may keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Reside Translation in Cellphone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 brings the power to have a dialog by way of telephone 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 via what looks as if a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your folks can now create polls in group messages to determine issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you take on a highway journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not obtained 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: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will can help you seek for something that is in your iPhone display. As an illustration, should you spot a pair of sneakers somebody is carrying in an Instagram photograph, you may screenshot it and use Visual Intelligence to search out these sneakers (or comparable ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s been annoyed with final 12 months’s changes to the Photos app, you will be blissful 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 search out what you are in search of.

Camera app updates: Navigating the Digicam app needs to 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 Safety” feature that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a baby security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

New lock screen options: 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 may now not be caught with the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms. As a substitute, you now have the choice to alter your snooze time from one to fifteen minutes.

Screenshots look different: You may discover a number of new options once you take a screenshot, together with “spotlight to go looking,” the choice to go looking your picture on Google and ChatGPT is there for any questions you’ve got concerning the picture.

Preview on iOS 26: There is a new app called Preview that permits you to scan paperwork, fill out PDF kinds, in addition to spotlight, underline or strike via textual content in a PDF file. You may as well take away backgrounds from photos on this app.

New adjustments with iPadOS 26

Your iPad is not getting left behind in terms of huge updates. Here is what to search for.

Multitasking and actual windowing: If you obtain the most recent replace, you’ll have a number of apps working in your display on the similar 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 optionally available so you may flip it off should 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: If 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 should you’re in search of one thing particular.

There’s extra past that, so you should definitely try our first impressions of iPadOS 26.

What about AirPods?

AirPods are also getting updated 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 will discover extra readability whereas in noisy environments.

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

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

Coronary heart charge monitoring: Apple launched new AirPods Professional 3 earbuds this month, which embrace coronary heart charge monitoring. It can work with Apple’s Well being app and different health apps that observe 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 “in the coming year,” so that you should not count on any main adjustments proper now. However there are reviews that Apple is aiming to offer Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal 12 months. The corporate can be reportedly engaged on a “stripped-down” AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Which iPhones will be capable to improve to iOS 26?

Just a few iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — aren’t suitable with the most recent improve. However any iPhones from 2019 or later shall be eligible for iOS 26:

• iPhone SE (second technology or later)

When are you able to obtain iOS 26?

iOS 26 has formally been launched to the general public totally free as of September 15, 2025.

If you happen to’re extra within the new Apple Intelligence options, this is everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots might be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.

Replace, September 17: Added particulars and hyperlink concerning the new iPhone Air.

Replace, September 16: Added particulars about modifying Liquid Glass settings, and new data 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 shall 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 totally different in iOS 26.

Replace, September 3: Famous Apple is anticipated 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 Digicam 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 charge 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 few 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.

Replace, August 13: Added new AirPods element noticed within the iOS 26 beta.

Replace, August 11: Famous that iOS 26 developer beta has hit beta 6.

Replace, August 8: Added new options coming with iPadOS 26 and AirPods.

Replace, August 6: Famous the discharge of iOS 26 beta 5 and the brand new bouncy characteristic on passcode display and Management Middle.

Replace, August 4: Famous that Apple is reportedly engaged on a ChatGPT rival.

Replace, August 1: Added quote from Tim Prepare dinner about iOS 26.

Replace, July 31: Famous that iOS 18.6 is now out there.

Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now out there.

Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.

Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reviews that Apple is contemplating further exterior LLMs for Siri.

Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.