- By Prateek Levi
- Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Apple is rolling out a major refresh to the iPhone experience with iOS 26, introducing a new design language called Liquid Glass. The update also extends across the Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, aiming for a unified and more fluid software ecosystem inspired by the Vision Pro’s visionOS.
A Transparent, Adaptive Interface
Liquid Glass brings translucent menus, softer animations, and adaptive elements that respond to what’s happening on screen. Safari’s shrinking URL bar is one example of this new visual approach. iOS 26 also offers fresh tinting options, including the ability to make icons fully transparent, while some icons have been repositioned for a cleaner look.
ALSO READ: iPhone 17 Pro Max Goes On Sale Today: Check Out Price In India, Features, Specs And More
The lock screen gets an upgrade too. Users can now set spatial photos as wallpapers and enjoy an adaptive clock that blends with the background for a more seamless appearance.
Smarter Calling and FaceTime
The Phone app has been redesigned to combine recent and missed calls into one view, though users can revert to the older layout. Key upgrades include call screening—which prompts unknown callers to state who they are and why they’re calling—and Hold Assist, which monitors the line while you multitask, notifying you when a real person picks up.
For FaceTime, iPhones with Apple Intelligence gain live translation, allowing smoother conversations across languages. For now, only a limited set of languages are supported, and downloads from the Translate app are required.
Camera and Photo Refinements
The Camera app has been simplified to show just two core options: Photo and Video. Swiping left or right reveals modes like portrait, panorama, slo-mo, or time-lapse, while swiping vertically adjusts exposure or aspect ratio. Video mode now houses a Format button for quick access to recording options.
The Photos app also sees tweaks, with tabs returning for easier navigation between your library and collections. Users with an iPhone 12 or newer can generate spatial photos with depth effects, and photos featured in home screen widgets are automatically enhanced into spatial visuals.
Messages Get More Personal
Group chats are getting livelier with the option to send Apple Cash, create polls, and see typing indicators. Users can now also customise chat backgrounds with wallpapers and filter texts from unknown senders, mirroring the Phone app’s screening feature.
Deeper Apple Intelligence Integration
Apple is weaving its intelligence features deeper into Shortcuts and Reminders. Workflows can now incorporate Image Playground or text-generation tools, with support for both Apple’s on-device models and ChatGPT.
Reminders get smarter too, automatically pulling tasks from emails or websites and even creating grocery lists from Apple News+ recipes. Related reminders can be grouped into lists with no manual effort.
Visual Intelligence Upgrades
With iOS 26, screenshots gain new powers. On devices that support Apple Intelligence, screenshots can be analysed, searched, or used to trigger contextual actions like creating calendar events or running translations. Similar to Android’s Circle to Search, users can highlight parts of the screenshot for targeted searches via Google or ChatGPT.
Apple Maps Evolves
The Maps app introduces Visited Places, a feature that remembers and records all the locations you go to. For daily commutes, Maps can now save frequent routes and preview them in widgets, while alerting you about potential delays and suggesting alternate paths.
More iOS 26 Additions
Other notable upgrades include:
- Safari: a redesigned toolbar with more customisation.
- Apple Music: a new AutoMix mode and the ability to pin favourites at the top of your library.
- Wallet: support for a digital passport, starting with TSA use in U.S. domestic flights (coming later).
Genmoji and Image Playground: combine two emojis into one, add expressions to Genmoji, and access new styles powered by ChatGPT.
With iOS 26, Apple isn’t just refreshing the look of the iPhone—it’s layering in smarter tools, cleaner design, and tighter integration across its ecosystem.