iOS 26 Apple Biggest Update and Top Features for 2025

Apple just raised the bar with iOS 26. At WWDC 2025, the company unveiled what looks to be its most significant software overhaul ever. If you care about your iPhone’s look, performance, or daily usability, you’ll want to see what’s changed. I put Apple’s iOS 26 Developer Beta to the test—warts and all—so you can decide whether to wait for the public launch or jump in right now.

Apple’s new update brings sweeping design changes and smart new features, all aimed at making the iPhone experience smoother and smarter. But before rushing in, there are a few things you need to know—especially if you rely on your device every day.

New Beginnings: WWDC 2025 and the iOS 26 Announcement

This year’s WWDC wasn’t just business as usual. Apple announced updates across all its major platforms, from iPhone to Mac and Watch. These weren’t just small tweaks, either. The company revealed new versions in the entire lineup: iOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26, and so on. For the first time, Apple unified its OS version numbers across the board. Gone are the days of iOS 17 and iOS 18. From now on, expect everything to move forward year by year—26, 27, and so on.

The catch? Right now, you can only get your hands on the Developer Beta. The public release is coming in September 2025. Every review, sneak peek, and feature walk-through out there is of these beta versions. If you’re tempted to install it, let me offer a word of caution.

Which iPhones Will Get iOS 26?

Apple dropped support for a few older iPhones:

Not Supported:

• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max

Supported:

• iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd & 3rd gen)
• iPhone 16E (the new kid on the block)
• Every new iPhone released after those

It’s clear Apple is setting a new pace, both in naming and feature support. Given this, don’t be surprised if this year’s iPhone is called iPhone 26, keeping everything in sync.

How to Install the iOS 26 Developer Beta (If You Really Must)

If you must see what all the fuss is about, here’s how to access iOS 26’s Developer Beta. Remember, this is risky on your main phone.

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.
2. Tap on the option for “iOS 26 Developer Beta” under the “Off” switch.
3. The update will appear—it’s huge, almost 15GB.
4. Tap to download and start the installation.

Important: Beta updates are buggy, slow, and can overheat your phone. If you only have one iPhone or rely on your device, don’t install this on your main phone. Wait for the public release in September or at least the safer public beta in July.

Meet Liquid Glass: iOS 26’s Biggest Visual Overhaul

The most obvious change in iOS 26 has nothing to do with features. Apple completely revamped how the iPhone looks and feels—a huge redesign, the biggest since the iOS 7 days.

From Flat to Liquid: The “Liquid Glass” Look

Apple calls the new style “Liquid Glass.” If you remember the translucent, glassy look from Windows Vista or early smartphone years, this will take you back. But this isn’t just nostalgia. Every icon, wallpaper, and menu now pops with a glossy, clear finish. The effect is everywhere—on iPhone, Apple Watch, MacBook, Vision Pro, even CarPlay.

The icons now come in three styles: classic “tinted,” ultra-clear, and dark mode. I like the clear icons the best—they’re sharp, modern, and a bit retro all at once. Apple also freshened up the system wallpaper with matching glossy visuals.

Redesigned Control Center

The Control Center has been reimagined. It’s more customizable, looks glossier, and is easier to use. When I hold down on an icon, it jumps into edit mode with a fresh look. You can now quickly switch between dark, clear, and classic icon sets.

Lock Screen Tweaks

The lock screen isn’t just about notifications anymore. Now, I can expand the time display and even change the thickness of the font with a simple tap. This makes customizing the lock screen easier than ever. The overall feel is much more flexible and lively.

System-Wide UI Refinements

Every app now features the new design. The search bars? They’re at the bottom for easier thumb access—same in App Store, Settings, Phone, Messages, and more.

Menus, navigation bars, and sidebars are all unified under this new look. Everything feels tied together, whether I’m using my phone, watch, or Mac. The iOS 26 Apple Biggest new features Update 2025 is more than a fresh coat of paint—the whole user experience feels renewed and much more intentional.

Smarter Battery Tools and Performance Improvements

iOS 26 isn’t just about looks. Apple introduced some battery-saving tricks to help your phone last longer.

Adaptive Power Mode

There’s a new mode called Adaptive Power. If my battery starts draining faster than usual, Adaptive Power kicks in. It’ll dim the screen a bit or slow how quickly apps open, all to squeeze out more battery life.

Here’s what Adaptive Power does:

• Lowers display brightness when needed
• Staggers background activity to optimize usage
• Delays opening non-essential apps to conserve power

Better Charging Info

In the battery settings, I now see exactly how long it’ll take to charge my phone to 80% and 100%. No more guessing how long I need to stay plugged in. The battery health readout has also become more straightforward and easy to understand.

A warning though: Like most new betas, my phone got hot while testing. As Apple irons out the bugs, expect things to stabilize.

A Better Camera and Smarter Photos App

If you love snapping photos or shooting video, iOS 26’s updated Camera and Photos apps have some nice surprises.

Simpler, Smarter Camera App

The new camera app feels less cluttered. Photo and Video modes are front and center. If I want to adjust settings, I just tap the side menu where I find every option laid out clearly—resolution, frame rate, and more. The controls now have that same “glass” look.

Photos: New Collection Views and 3D Scenes

Browse your photos and videos with two tabs: Library and Collections. It’s easier to find specific memories. Apple also fixed many of the navigation headaches from prior versions.

A big highlight: I can turn a regular photo into what Apple calls a “special scene.” It adds subtle 3D movement, which makes the picture almost look alive. It’s a fun effect, and I can use it with any photo, not just portraits.

Notable Camera and Photos Fixes

• Camera app interface is more focused and less busy
• Quicker access to settings for advanced users
• 3D special scene effect for photos
• Smoothed navigation in Photos app
• Beta bugs and heating issues will hopefully be addressed by final release

Safari and CarPlay Get a Fresh Feel

Apple’s browser and in-car system also received upgrades to match the new design and improve usability.

Safari: Edge-to-Edge Browsing

Safari now feels more immersive. The content fills the whole screen, and the address bar shrinks to give space for reading. Tap the bar, and it expands for search or typing. While the beta feels a bit slow, Apple promises smoother performance by the public release.

CarPlay: Widgets and Clarity

CarPlay matches the Liquid Glass vibe, complete with clear icons and modern widgets. The new look puts widgets for maps, music, and other apps right at your fingertips. One big update: when you get a call while using maps, the call notification now sits at the bottom of the display. This means you won’t lose sight of directions while driving.

Phone and Messaging Apps: Packed with Useful Upgrades

Apple dedicated plenty of attention to the Phone and Messages apps in iOS 26 Apple Biggest new features Update 2025. There’s a lot to love if you communicate often.

Phone App Upgrades

• Unified Interface: All calls, voicemails, and favorites are in one view. No more jumping between tabs.
• Classic vs New: Prefer the older look? You can switch back to a more traditional layout if you miss separate tabs.
• Call Screening: Incoming calls from unknown numbers get automatically screened. Your iPhone asks who’s calling and then lets you decide whether to answer.
• Hold For You: If you call a company and get stuck on hold, your iPhone waits for you and notifies you when a real person comes on. No more endless music loops.

Messages App Boosts

• Chat Backgrounds: Pick custom backgrounds for each chat, even in group conversations.
• Group Polls: Create and manage polls easily—Apple’s AI learns new options suggested by friends in real time.
• Apple Intelligence Integration: Smart suggestions and message handling get a serious boost.
• Spam Control: Unknown senders’ messages move into a separate folder, while time-critical texts show up upfront.
• Typing Indicators: Now available in group chats, so you always know when someone’s responding.

My favorite new features:

1. Call screening for avoiding spam.
2. The hold-for-you trick, which frees up time.
3. Polls in group chats for trip planning or quick votes on decisions.

Everything in these apps now looks consistent with the overall iOS update, making tasks easier on the eyes and the thumbs.

FaceTime and Smarter Communication Tools

Video calls aren’t left behind. FaceTime now shares the same overhauled design as the Phone app. Buttons are easier to reach, and the layout feels more intuitive. Screening and filtering for unknown FaceTime calls is also available.

Live translation is now part of FaceTime, and it’s super useful if you’re talking to people who prefer French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish (Hindi support isn’t here yet). During a video or voice call, tap the More menu to get real-time translations, which helps break down language barriers right from your device.

It’s impressive to see just how accessible these tools have become—no more complicated setup or third-party apps needed.

Gaming and Preview Apps Get Attention

Apple didn’t ignore entertainment. There’s now a dedicated Gaming app built into iOS 26.

• Arcade Tab: Access Apple Arcade games if you’re a subscriber.
• Play Together Feature: Invite friends to join multiplayer games, see who’s playing what, and take on challenges.
• Game Library: All owned and downloaded games are listed, complete with history.

The new Preview app lets you open and annotate PDFs or images. While not everyone will use it every day, having it built in makes certain tasks much easier.

Visual Intelligence: Smart Image Search Comes to iPhone

A highlight for tech lovers: iOS 26’s new Visual Intelligence feature supercharges the camera button on iPhone 16 series and above. But here’s the best part—it works everywhere, not just in the camera app.

Imagine you’re browsing Instagram and notice a cool car. Hold the camera button, drag over the image, and Visual Intelligence tells you exactly what car it is, pulling up results and details on the spot.

• It can recognize plants, cars, or almost any object shown on screen or in photos.
• You can also use it to pick out events, booking info, and more straight from the web or your photo library.
• This is similar to features seen on Samsung phones, but now it’s available to all iOS users.

Live Translation: Breaking Down Language Barriers Everywhere

iOS 26 brings live translation into core apps like phone calls, FaceTime, and Messages.

How does it work?

• During a call or video chat, your iPhone can listen in Spanish, French, Portuguese, or German, then output the conversation in English (or vice versa).
• In Messages, live translation works for text as well.
• Right now, Hindi and a few other languages aren’t available, but support may expand later.

Translation FAQ:

• Which apps? Works in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages
• Which languages? French, German, Portuguese, Spanish (not Hindi yet)
• How fast? Near real-time responses

This is especially handy for work, travel, or talking with friends around the globe.

More Music, Smoother Listening: Apple Music Updates

Apple Music gets a facelift in iOS 26. The bottom navigation bar now matches the new design style. My favorite upgrade? I can pin top artists, albums, or songs so they always show first. Lyrics finally get some love too. If I’m playing a Spanish song, I can translate the lyrics or check pronunciation on tricky words.

A new AutoMix feature analyzes the beats of adjacent tracks and blends songs together, so moving from one song to the next feels natural. It’s great for parties, workouts, or when you just want uninterrupted vibes.

Smarter Maps and Apple Wallet Upgrade

Apple Maps is better at recognizing my daily patterns. Heading out for coffee before work? The app knows my routine and can alert me when lines are long or traffic is heavy—even before I leave home. All visited places are tracked, so looking up where I’ve been is easy.

Apple Wallet expands too. Now, I can use my iPhone as my car key (works with certain Tata EVs in India). My digital ID and driver’s license are stored securely, making domestic travel easier. Passport support for US users is rolling out, so domestic flights could become lighter on paperwork—if your airport accepts it.

Conclusion

This is the most substantial iOS update in years. The combination of sweeping design changes, everyday tools like Adaptive Power, smart translations, and revamped core apps makes iOS 26 feel modern, bold, and useful.

Stay tuned for more Apple news, tips, and deep dives right here. Take care, and happy updating when the time’s right!

Disclaimer: The information and pictures provided on this page are not guaranteed to be completely accurate. Please seek expert advice before making any decision.

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