5 impactful iOS 26 modifications you will have missed throughout Apple’s WWDC keynote

At WWDC 2025, Apple unveiled its new iOS replace arriving later this 12 months: iOS 26.

That is proper, the rumors had been true. Apple is renaming all its working methods to be based mostly on the 12 months as an alternative of by model quantity. Nevertheless, the brand new naming scheme is not what stole the present. It was Liquid Glass, the overarching central theme of iOS 26, which provides a brand new glass-like translucent impact to many of the iPhone’s person interface components.

Liquid Glass serves to unify the design of all Apple’s working methods, together with iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. With Liquid Glass, Apple is introducing the most important redesign of iOS since iOS 7 in 2013. Apple touts Liquid Glass as “bringing higher focus to content material, and delivering a brand new stage of vitality throughout controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and extra.” It additionally seems to be so much like Microsoft’s ill-fated Windows Vista-era Aero design language.

Along with the brand new Liquid Glass design for iOS 26 (which you’ll be able to see within the picture above), Apple launched tons of latest options that its numerous apps will obtain, all aimed toward making utilizing the iPhone day-after-day higher. Listed below are 5 impactful iOS 26 changes you will have missed throughout Apple’s hour-and-a-half-long WWDC keynote.

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5

Redesigned Telephone app

Calling your mates is even simpler with iOS 26

Apple

The Telephone app is without doubt one of the essential apps on the iPhone, and with iOS 26, Apple is giving it a much-needed redesign together with new options that will help you display calls and handle being on maintain. To begin, the Telephone app has a brand new “unified” design format, combining your favourite contacts and up to date calls all on one web page. It is possible for you to to see all of your pinned contacts proper on the high, so for those who’re attempting to make a name shortly, you possibly can faucet one in every of your contacts on the high of the display to succeed in them sooner. Beneath that, you will discover all of your current calls and voicemails with readouts.

Along with its redesign, Apple launched two brand-new options for the Telephone app: Name Screening and Maintain Help. Name Screening robotically solutions calls from unknown numbers and screens the decision so that you can decide if it is value answering.

Maintain Help robotically detects when you find yourself on maintain along with your iPhone, by recognizing maintain music that performs when you wait. Maintain Help retains your place in line when you look forward to a dwell agent to grow to be accessible. When you join with an agent, Maintain Help will provide you with a warning to return to the decision. I’ve spent hours on maintain with buyer help earlier than, so Maintain Help may simply be one in every of iOS 26’s most useful new additions.

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4

CarPlay is extra seamless with iOS 26

Receiving cellphone calls will not take up your complete display

Apple

With iOS 26, Apple CarPlay is present process a major makeover, including new options that improve ease of use. Firstly, my favourite new addition to CarPlay is a compact design for cellphone calls. At present, once you obtain a name, CarPlay occupies your entire display when you wait to reply or decline. Now, with iOS 26, cellphone calls seem as notifications on the backside of the display, permitting you to nonetheless see content material on the show, reminiscent of your map and instructions.

Subsequent, messages in CarPlay will now show your pinned conversations, letting you simply hear or reply to them with Siri. Widgets are additionally being launched to CarPlay, enabling you to test the climate, view your calendar, management good house options, and extra immediately out of your automobile’s dashboard. All the knowledge is designed to be glanceable, minimizing distractions whereas driving. Dwell actions are additionally being built-in into CarPlay, enabling you to view your flight standing or your favourite workforce’s rating immediately out of your automobile’s display. All these modifications may even be accessible on CarPlay Extremely with iOS 26.

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3

Enhanced expertise within the Messages app

Texting your group chat will look completely different with iOS 26

Apple

Apple did not neglect in regards to the Messages app with iOS 26, and it is including a few new options to make it extra aggressive with different messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat. Firstly, it’s introducing a brand new backgrounds function for Messages, permitting you and a contact to set a picture because the background in your dialog. Do you usually speak to your good friend a few sure film or artist? Now you can set a picture associated to that as your messaging background whereas discussing it. Backgrounds work for each one-on-one conversations and group chats.

Talking of group chats, Apple is including a brand new polling function that allows you to survey your mates on concepts in group chats. So for those who’re attempting to find out which night time works finest for everybody to hang around, or which restaurant to go to, now you can ship a ballot to your group chat and shortly hear again from your mates to see what fits everybody. Anybody within the group may contribute new concepts to the ballot.

Typing indicators are additionally coming to group chats, permitting you to see who’s typing a response. Lastly, Apple is introducing a brand new screening device for messages to filter out spam textual content messages from unknown senders within the Messages app.

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2

Dwell Translation is coming to interrupt down language obstacles

iOS 26 allows you to translate calls, messages, and FaceTime in real-time

Apple

In the event you usually talk with individuals who do not share the identical first language as you, notably whereas working or learning overseas, Apple’s new Dwell Translation function in iOS 26 goals to interrupt down language obstacles. Dwell Translation is built-in into the Telephone app, Messages, and FaceTime. In Messages, it robotically interprets texts you ship and obtain into your contact’s most popular language. Once they reply, it is immediately translated, permitting you to learn their responses in your most popular language.

In FaceTime, Dwell Translation offers real-time captions, enabling you to learn a translation of what your good friend or member of the family is saying in a distinct language instantly. Lastly, within the Telephone app throughout a name, Dwell Translation interprets your speech in real-time and vocalizes it for the recipient within the chosen translated language. For instance, for those who’re calling a resort whereas vacationing in France, you possibly can communicate in English, and Dwell Translation will translate your phrases and articulate them in French for you. Dwell Translation is run completely on the gadget utilizing Apple’s fashions, so all of your conversations will stay safe and personal.

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1

Visible Intelligence is getting an improve

You’ll seek for content material in your display with Visible Intelligence

Apple

Apple did not have a lot to say about Apple Intelligence at WWDC, which is not any shock given the delays we have been listening to about for months. Nevertheless, Apple did unveil a brand new performance for Visual Intelligence, extending its capabilities to your iPhone’s display. At present accessible in iOS 18, Visible Intelligence lets you find out about objects and locations in the actual world by pointing your digicam at them and urgent the Motion Button or Digicam Management Button.

With iOS 26, Visible Intelligence will allow you to do the identical with content material in your cellphone’s display. See one thing you want whereas scrolling via social media? Like a jacket or lamp? While you take a screenshot, you will be introduced with new choices, permitting you to ask ChatGPT about what you see within the picture or discover related photos on Google. This intently resembles Google’s Circle to Search, however is Apple’s personal take utilizing Visible Intelligence.

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