iOS 26: Apple's Boldest Update Yet?

The new iOS 26 design modernises the interface, while Apple Intelligence 2.0 introduces AI in a controlled, privacy-focused way. Ashish Narsale brings you all the juice.

IMAGE: Apple's Liquid Glass is a cleaner, lighter design that introduces translucent layers, refraction effects and smoother depth transitions. Photographs: Kind courtesy Apple.com

Apple has jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26, aligning version numbers with the release year.

This release marks one of the most significant overhauls of the iPhone's operating system, driven by Apple Intelligence 2.0 and a completely new design language called Liquid Glass.

Design: Liquid Glass

The interface now follows a new visual identity.

Apple calls it Liquid Glass -- a cleaner, lighter design that introduces translucent layers, refraction effects and smoother depth transitions.

App icons and system elements appear semi-transparent with reflective highlights.

The control centre, pop-ups and sliders carry subtle motion and shadow effects that give the UI a more dynamic appearance.

The lock screen adjusts automatically based on wallpaper content, repositioning widgets and text for visual balance.

Overall, the system looks more polished, modern and consistent with Apple's minimalist layout.

Apple Intelligence 2.0

Apple's AI framework now runs more deeply across the system.

It automates everyday actions and interprets on-screen context.

Visual intelligence lets users tap objects or text in photos to translate, identify or search similar items online.

Live translation works within messages and FaceTime, enabling real-time language translation during conversations without needing separate apps.

IMAGE: The lock screen adjusts automatically based on wallpaper content, repositioning widgets and text for visual balance.

Camera enhancements

Smart HDR 6 to captures better highlights, smoother skin tones and more detail in complex lighting.
Adaptive portrait mode that can recognise multiple faces and automatically balance focus between them. You can even refocus after taking the shot.
Improved night mode to deliver cleaner, brighter photos in low light with reduced noise.
Smart capture assist suggests small helpful adjustments -- like switching lenses or stabilising the frame -- before you press the shutter.

For video creators

4K at 60 fps for all lenses.
Cinematic stabilisation to make handheld clips smoother without cropping.
Live audio levels to display sound input in real time -- should be great for vloggers and podcasters.

The photos app also gains AI enhance, a one-tap edit tool that fine-tunes color, lighting and composition directly on-device -- no internet connection required.

Smarter built-in apps

Messages

Group chats now include polls, chat backgrounds and animated reactions.

These additions may make messaging more interactive without complicating the interface.

Maps

The maps app receives a redesign with a 'visited places' view, improved route suggestions and clearer visuals.

Phone

The Phone app combines favourites, any action you have taken recently and voicemail into one unified tab.

iOS 26 also introduces call screening -- live text transcriptions for unknown numbers.

Battery

A new adaptive power mode manages the phone's performance dynamically based on usage.

The function is to improve battery endurance without noticeable lag.

IMAGE: App icons and system elements appear semi-transparent with reflective highlights.

System enhancements

Charging time prediction: The lock screen now displays the estimated time to full charge.
Wi-Fi aware: Nearby devices can connect directly, improving AirDrop speed and IoT functionality.
Accessibility: Expanded voice control and enhanced screen-reading tools improve usability for more users.
Juice jacking protection: iOS 26 introduces smarter protection when you plug your iPhone into public USB-C ports or unfamiliar accessories.
- Now, whenever you connect to a new device or cable, your iPhone clearly asks whether to allow or block data access -- letting you charge safely without exposing your data.
- You can manage this feature under Settings → Privacy & Security → Wired Accessories (or face ID and passcode → USB accessories on some models).
- With this extra step and built-in encryption, iOS 26 limits how much background data any connected device can access.
- This is an important upgrade that helps prevent 'juice jacking,' a type of cyber-attack that can occur through compromised charging ports.
- Apple also advises using trusted cables, power adapters or personal power banks, especially when charging in public spaces.

Safari security and privacy

Safari gets one of its biggest security boosts in iOS 26.

Each browser tab and extension now runs in its own isolated space so if one page is compromised, it can't affect the others.

New privacy tools make browsing even safer:

Tracking protection is smarter and blocks more invisible trackers that build profiles about you.
The private browsing lock lets you secure private tabs with Face ID or Touch ID, so they stay locked when you leave Safari.
Fraudulent website alerts: Now check for unsafe links using on-device intelligence instead of sending your browsing data elsewhere.
Passkeys work on more websites and sync through iCloud Keychain with full end-to-end encryption.
Extension controls give you finer control -- you can allow an extension to run only on specific sites or for a limited time.

Compatibility

iOS 26 supports all iPhones powered by the A13 Bionic chip or newer.

However, Apple Intelligence 2.0 features such as Live Translation and Visual Intelligence require the A17 Pro or later, found in the iPhone 15 Pro series onward.

All supported devices still receive the new design and core performance upgrades.

iOS 26 focuses on refinement rather than reinvention.

The new design modernises the interface while Apple Intelligence 2.0 introduces AI in a controlled, privacy-focused way.

Apple says the performance will feel smoother, visuals are cleaner and everyday interactions will show greater efficiency.