Cover iOS 26 offers exciting new features and capabilities across each of Apple’s software platforms
iOS 26 offers exciting new features and capabilities across each of Apple’s software platforms
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From liquid glass to enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities, here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s new iOS 26, all in one place
Apple has officially released iOS 26, marking a significant leap forward in iPhone software with groundbreaking design changes and powerful new features. After skipping version numbers to align with its other platforms, Apple jumped from iOS 18 directly to iOS 26, bringing a unified experience across all Apple devices.
The most striking change in iOS 26 is the introduction of Liquid Glass, a translucent design language that transforms the entire iPhone experience. This new material creates a glass-like appearance that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing unprecedented visual depth to the interface.
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What is Liquid Glass?
Liquid Glass transforms every aspect of your iPhone’s interface, from translucent menus and buttons to app icons that seem to float above the surface. The design dynamically adapts to content and lighting conditions, creating a living, breathing interface that feels more connected to the physical world. This unified approach extends across the lock screen, home screen and control centre, and within apps themselves, bringing enhanced vitality to controls, navigation and widgets. Perhaps most impressively, the adaptive time presentation on the lock screen now responds intelligently to your wallpaper, creating a seamless visual experience that feels personalised to each user.
Apple Intelligence gets smarter
iOS 26 significantly expands Apple Intelligence capabilities, introducing features that feel truly futuristic. The standout addition is Live Translation, which provides real-time translation across messages, FaceTime and phone calls. This revolutionary feature works seamlessly with AirPods for private translation experiences and supports multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish and more, making global communication effortless.
Visual Intelligence receives a major upgrade, allowing users to take screenshots and ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re seeing on screen. The system can search Google, Etsy, and other supported apps for similar images and products, creating a more intelligent way to interact with visual content. The creative possibilities expand further with the ability to create custom Genmoji by combining multiple emoji and enhanced Image Playground integration with ChatGPT for new image styles.
Apple Intelligence also enhances fitness experiences through Workout Buddy, which provides personalised, spoken motivation during exercises, making workouts more engaging and effective.
Communication gets an upgrade
Above Apple’s iOS 26 helps filter out spam and robocalls while ensuring important calls still reach you
Apple’s iOS 26 helps filter out spam and robocalls while ensuring important calls still reach you
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iOS 26 introduces powerful tools to help you stay connected while reducing the constant barrage of unwanted interruptions. Call screening represents a major breakthrough in phone management, automatically screening calls from unknown numbers by asking for their name and reason for calling before connecting to you. This intelligent system helps filter out spam and robocalls while ensuring important calls still reach you.
Complementing this is hold assist, a feature that keeps you on hold until a live agent is available, freeing you to continue with other tasks instead of listening to endless hold music. This practical solution addresses one of modern life’s most frustrating experiences.
Messages receives significant enhancements that make conversations more engaging and manageable. Users can now screen messages from unknown senders, create polls within conversations for group decision-making and add custom backgrounds to make chats feel more personal and expressive.
Apps get major updates
Above Sing-along sessions reach a new level of fun with Sing in Apple Music, allowing users to transform their iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV
Sing-along sessions reach a new level of fun with Sing in Apple Music, allowing users to transform their iPhone into a handheld microphone for Apple TV
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iOS 26 introduces significant improvements across Apple’s core applications, each designed to enhance daily workflows and entertainment experiences. The brand-new Apple Games app serves as a dedicated gaming destination that helps users jump back into games they love while discovering new favourites through personalised recommendations. This centralised hub connects players with friends and provides a unified gaming experience across the Apple ecosystem.
Apple Music evolves with sophisticated new language features, including real-time lyrics translation that breaks down language barriers in music discovery. The companion lyrics pronunciation feature helps users learn how to properly pronounce lyrics in different languages, making music a more educational and culturally enriching experience. These additions transform Apple Music from a simple streaming service into a gateway for global musical exploration.
Apple Maps introduces Visited Places functionality, allowing users to track and easily revisit locations they've been to, creating a personal geography of meaningful places. The feature integrates seamlessly with other Apple services, making location-based memories and navigation more intuitive and personalised.
Apple Wallet expands its utility with order tracking functionality currently in beta, enabling users to monitor purchases and deliveries directly from their wallet interface. This integration represents Apple’s continued push towards making the iPhone a comprehensive tool for managing daily commerce and logistics.
Compatibility and availability
iOS 26 is available now as a free update for supported iPhone models, with the global rollout having begun on September 15, 2025, and distributed across all time zones. Apple Intelligence features are currently available in beta with comprehensive language support including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, and Korean. However, some features may not be available in all regions or languages due to local regulations and technical considerations.
Most iOS 26 features work seamlessly on iPhone 11 and later models, ensuring broad compatibility across Apple's recent device lineup. However, Apple Intelligence requires the more powerful hardware found in iPhone 15 Pro or later models, while some of the most advanced features require even newer hardware to function optimally.
Privacy and security
Apple maintains its unwavering commitment to privacy with iOS 26 through several key architectural decisions. On-device processing powers Apple Intelligence features, ensuring that personal data remains on your iPhone rather than being transmitted to external servers. The enhanced call screening system operates without compromising privacy, using local intelligence to make decisions about incoming calls. Translation and AI features handle sensitive conversations and content securely, with user control over data sharing and AI interactions remaining paramount throughout the experience.
What this means for users
Above iOS 26 helps update the iPhone’s position from a communication device to an intelligent companion
iOS 26 helps update the iPhone’s position from a communication device to an intelligent companion
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iOS 26 represents Apple’s vision for the future of mobile computing, where artificial intelligence seamlessly integrates into daily tasks without overwhelming the user experience. The Liquid Glass design creates a more immersive and beautiful interface, while practical features like call screening and hold assist solve real-world problems.
The update positions the iPhone as not just a communication device, but as an intelligent companion that can translate languages in real-time, help with creative tasks, and adapt to your personal needs and preferences.
Getting started with iOS 26
To begin experiencing iOS 26, navigate to Settings, then General, followed by Software Update on your compatible iPhone. Download and install iOS 26, though be prepared for potentially longer download times due to high demand from users worldwide. After installation, restart your iPhone when prompted and take time to explore the new Liquid Glass interface and discover the various features that have been enhanced or introduced.
Keep in mind that some features may require additional setup steps or may be rolling out gradually to users. Apple Intelligence features, being in beta, will continue to improve and expand their capabilities through machine learning and regular updates. This gradual enhancement means the iOS 26 experience will become increasingly sophisticated and personalised over time.
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Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
