Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025—not just an update, but the biggest version of the year that leapfrogged iOS 18 to 26. It features a massive UI redesign, camera, maps, messages, FaceTime, Apple Music, and advanced security features. Details are below.
Liquid Glass Theme – Transparency and Aesthetic Appeal
The most striking feature of iOS 26 is “Liquid Glass”—it’s actually a transparent ‘glass’ theme in the UI that brings transparency and smooth animations across almost everything, including the Home screen, Control Center, FaceTime Duo, Camera, and Messages apps. While it has some advantages on Android, it brings a new experience across the entire system on Apple.
Dynamic Lockscreen and 3D Wallpaper
The Liquid Glass theme has also been extended to the lock screen. Here, by selecting the “Clear” option, the UI and typography of the time become AI-powered and consistent with the image—the result is a beautiful, dynamic, and effective look. In addition, now you can set “3D wallpapers” from the iPhone and place them on the home or lock screen—even without a third-party app.
Camera And Photos: A Cleaner And Smarter Ui
The UI of the Camera app in iOS 26 is now much cleaner and minimal—only the Photo and Video options are in front of you when you open it. Navigation has become easier for camera users. The Photo Gallery also has new “Library”, “Collection”, and “Search” layouts that help you find photos and documents quickly.
Safari: Edge-to-edge Browsing Experience
Apple has come up with a new flat, transparent theme in Safari so that users can enjoy a browsing experience across the entire area. The new navigation history, reload, and menu buttons at the bottom blend very naturally with the page.
Can Read: Honor 400 Pro Pre-Booking Offer, Price And Key Features
Facetime, Carplay, And Phone Experience Reconfiguration
The FaceTime app is now organized like a “landing page”—your familiar contacts are already visible in one section. CarPlay has a new UI that displays the full Maps view even when driving. Incoming calls now appear as small tabs so they don’t block navigation.
The Phone app also has a “Unified Layout”—calls, contacts, and keypad at the bottom, search button at the top—now allowing users to back up calls in two modes. Call screening and “Hold Assist” help identify and mute anonymous and spam calls.
Apple Pay, Group Chats, And Spam Filters In Messages
The Messages app now features background customization and the ability to create polls in group chats. Apple Cash integration also allows for person-to-person payment transactions. Spam or unnecessary messages are being auto-filtered to avoid cluttered inboxes. Live translation—calls or texts—now eliminates language barriers.
Apple Music and Apple Maps AI
Apple Music has added “Lyrics Translation,” which makes it easier to find and translate lyrics in your language while you sing. Apple Maps AI learns your preferences and habits, so it can make recommendations for you next time.
Digital Passport and Game App
Apple Wallet will have a direct Digital Passport scanner in iOS 26 (though still limited in some countries). The new “Games” app is a dedicated gaming hub that integrates a library of games and controller compatibility.
Battery Status and Visual Intelligence
Settings › Battery now has Battery Estimated Time—showing how long it will take to charge to 80% or 100%. Visual Intelligence has been strengthened—“Circle to Search” is now available in iOS 26; you can set the image information of the screenshot and find out by ChatGPT or image search.
Repairability And Subscreen Support
Installing the Apple beta profile will automatically bring iOS 26 to you in General › Software Update—Adding the beta profile. Most recent iPhone models will be able to get iOS 26.
Our Thoughts And Conclusions
At first glance, iOS 26 seems to be inspired by many features from Android, but Apple is adding an engaging look, AI-powered dynamic themes, and a huge amount of customization. The first impression is that the “Liquid Glass” theme and UI are very attractive, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be in the long run. If Apple keeps the experience well, this will be a big push among iOS versions!
Can Read: Never Lose Your Valuables Again: Discover the Magic of Apple AirTags!