5 iOS 26 options that make me glad I purchased an iPhone 16 Professional

I did not purchase my iPhone 16 Pro final 12 months with future variations of iOS in thoughts — primarily I used to be involved with the getting older battery in my iPhone 13, and upgrading to higher cameras and show tech. However one of many advantages of upgrading any smartphone is sustained entry to new software program, and with iOS 26, there is a rising listing of options that may solely work when you personal an iPhone 15 Pro or later. That is the cutoff for Apple Intelligence, a collection of AI instruments that is been controversial thus far — principally as a result of Apple has delayed promised options, like contextual consciousness for Siri.

Within the interim, there are a number of iOS 26 options that ought to make house owners of newer iPhones completely satisfied. Some are comparatively area of interest, however the ones I’ll get into immediately may make a significant distinction to you, relying on what your day-to-day existence seems like.

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1

Visible Intelligence for screenshots

Seek for something, anytime

Apple

Successfully, that is Apple’s reply to Google’s Circle to Seek for Android. When it premiered in iOS 18.2, Visible Intelligence was restricted to no matter you can level your digicam at, which was solely sometimes helpful. With iOS 26, it turns into an choice everytime you take a screenshot, too — you possibly can ask ChatGPT questions on what you are seeing, and search on supported apps resembling Google, Etsy, and Pinterest. If a picture comprises an apparent occasion resembling a live performance, the function can detect it and counsel including the day, time, and/or location to a Calendar entry. Anticipate to see much more flyers in your messages as soon as iOS 26 turns into widespread.

Visible Intelligence is not fairly as handy as Circle to Search, which may be triggered by long-pressing Android’s navigation deal with at any time. However each instruments allow you to hint particular objects to look, so the comparability is fairly apt.

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2

Dwell Translation in first-party communications apps

Let’s hope it catches the subtleties

Apple

In one other bid to meet up with Google, iOS 26 provides automated translation to the Telephone, FaceTime, and Messages apps. It was fairly spectacular throughout Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote, although the corporate used pre-recorded (and presumably scripted) demonstrations. I am curious to see how properly it really works in real-world situations — translation apps typically miss the nuances of context, like idioms. The outcomes might be notably entertaining in Quebec, the place lots of swear phrases are primarily based on French Catholicism.

Talking of which, language assist is comparatively restricted to begin with. The Messages app helps English, Chinese language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. The Telephone and FaceTime apps work with English, French, German, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, however solely in one-on-one conversations. Even inside these boundaries, many dialects are being omitted — there is not any Québécois French or Mexican Spanish, as an illustration.

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3

Computerized order monitoring in Apple Pockets

No extra want for outdoor instruments?

Apple / Pocket-lint

Apple has really had an order monitoring system within the iOS Pockets app for a number of years, however till now, it required lively participation on the a part of retailers. This wasn’t very interesting to corporations with their very own monitoring programs, or anybody preferring a platform-neutral choice. Usually, once I’m monitoring packages, I will simply use Shopify’s Store app — I haven’t got to fret about being on an Apple gadget simply to learn how shut a package deal is.

To simplify issues, iOS 26 routinely scans for monitoring particulars in your e-mail threads. That, in fact, could also be a limitation in its personal proper, if it is restricted to the Apple Mail app and does not assist the likes of Outlook or Gmail. However who is aware of — for folks with frequent deliveries, this might be an incentive to change e-mail purchasers.

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4

Computerized Reminders strategies and sorting

Remembering the belongings you forgot to recollect

Apple / Pocket-lint

I’ve by no means had an enormous want for to-do apps, since usually, something that is really essential to me needs to be achieved immediately or is not possible to neglect. However even I make use of the iOS Reminders app sometimes, and a few folks appear to dwell and die by it. I get it, because it offloads a few of the burden of remembering what your job, associates, and household want from you.

iOS 26 scans your e-mail and Messages conversations for duties you would possibly wish to add to Reminders, together with objects you possibly can add to a grocery buying listing. To prepare issues additional, related reminders are routinely sorted into sections inside every listing. I think about each of these items are going to be extraordinarily helpful for Reminders diehards, since we’re typically bombarded with a flood of communications daily. It is easy to neglect that it’s worthwhile to name somebody again whenever you’re already late choosing up your youngster from faculty.

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5

Apple Intelligence in Shortcuts

An undiscovered nation

The Shortcuts app stands out as the most underappreciated a part of iOS. I do not use it as a lot as I used to, however when you’re affected person, you possibly can construct some fairly elaborate automations to simplify duties — my “I am driving dwelling” routine is able to texting my spouse, getting Apple Maps instructions, and loading an Apple Music playlist all by means of a single voice command. Chances are high, if it is baked into iOS, there is a approach of automating it through Shortcuts.

The iOS 26 model of the app allows Apple Intelligence actions, resembling picture technology or textual content summaries. In reality, I am on this not a lot for what’s potential now, however slightly what’s coming as soon as Apple delivers on its unique AI guarantees.

I might like to have a shortcut that routinely shuffles a particular Spotify playlist when it may well inform I am headed out on a bunch experience with my electrical unicycle, as an illustration. The chances could also be huge, even overwhelming for the typical individual — it is a good factor persons are sharing shortcut concepts on-line.

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