Apple Announces iOS 26 With Liquid Glass Design, And AI Features At WWDC 2025

During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple officially introduced iOS 26, a major update for iPhones. The jump in version number—from iOS 18 to 26—is intended to align all Apple operating systems with a uniform naming convention based on the release year, reducing user confusion.

Redesigned Interface: Liquid Glass

One of the most significant changes in iOS 26 is the introduction of the Liquid Glass design. This new aesthetic features a translucent, glass-like appearance that refracts and reflects surrounding content. It enhances personalization across controls, navigation elements, app icons, widgets, the home screen, and lock screen.

Liquid Glass allows for dynamic adjustments—such as adapting time displays to available space—and introduces 3D wallpaper effects that respond to device movement. Safari receives fluid transitions between pages, and apps like Music, News, and Podcasts now have floating tab bars. Developers will also gain access to APIs to integrate Liquid Glass into third-party apps.

Apple Intelligence: On-Device AI

iOS 26 includes major enhancements through Apple Intelligence, Apple’s generative AI system. Key features include:

• Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps for real-time multilingual communication.

• Integration with ChatGPT for context-aware actions, screen content suggestions, and cross-platform searches.

• New creative tools like Genmoji and Image Playground for personalized emoji and visual responses.

• Smart shortcuts and automatic summaries for tasks like package tracking in emails.

Developers can use the new Foundation Models structure to access AI capabilities directly on the device.

Enhanced Communication Features

The Phone app now consolidates Favorites, Recents, and Voicemail. It supports Live Voicemail Screening and Wait Assistant, which notifies users when an agent is available. The Messages app introduces new message filters for unknown senders, chat background customization via Image Playground, and features like poll creation and Apple Cash for peer payments.

Upgrades in Other Apple Services

• Apple Music now features real-time lyric translation, lyric pronunciation, and AutoMix, which uses AI for DJ-style transitions between songs.

• Apple Maps introduces a Visited Places section, route learning via AI, and real-time travel suggestions with encrypted data protection.

• Apple Wallet now offers installment payments, rewards tracking, and real-time flight updates integrated with Maps and Find My.

• CarPlay gains a compact call interface, pinned messages, and live widgets, also extending to the new CarPlay Ultra for premium vehicles.

Additional Features

• Apple Games app aggregates installed games, social features, and Arcade integration.

• AirPods updates allow studio-quality audio recording and remote camera control via the stem.

• Safari introduces enhanced fingerprinting protection for greater privacy.

• Parental controls now include app approval, FaceTime content blurring, and exceptions for age-restricted downloads.

• Accessibility gets a boost with an improved Accessibility Reader, Braille Access interface, and enhanced Live Listen, Background Sounds, and Personal Voice tools.

In addition to iOS 26, Apple also unveiled macOS 26 (Tahoe), iPadOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26, all unified under the new Liquid Glass design language for a consistent and modern aesthetic. macOS 26 brings a refreshed interface, dynamic Spotlight search, and a centralized Apple Games app. iPadOS 26 inherits many features from iOS 26, including Apple Intelligence and the new multitasking enhancements tailored for the iPad’s larger screen. visionOS 26 improves spatial interactions with advanced 3D object handling, enhanced Personas for video calls, and immersive browsing in Safari. tvOS 26 introduces a transparent UI, personalized profiles, and new Apple Music features like Sing Mode and real-time lyric translation. These updates collectively demonstrate Apple’s commitment to delivering a seamless and intelligent experience across all its platforms.

Availability

iOS 26 is available starting June 9, 2025, as a developer beta, with a public beta expected in July. Compatibility details for supported iPhones are provided in a separate update by Apple.

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