Apple released iOS 26 today, bringing a fresh design and powerful new features to iPhones.
Raise your hand if you have a ton of photos in your library. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏽♂️🙋🏽
In #iOS26, it’s easier than ever to sort and filter your photos to find exactly what you need. Here’s how. pic.twitter.com/lFvMtIUyfl
— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) September 23, 2025
The update introduces Liquid Glass, a translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, adding expressiveness to apps and system experiences. iOS 26 offers more customization options for the Lock Screen, including adaptive time presentation and 3D spatial scenes.
Key apps like Camera, Photos, Safari, and Phone have been enhanced. The new Call Screening feature helps users manage calls from unknown numbers. Hold Assist can wait on the line until a live agent is available.
Organize the Collections tab in Photos the way you want.
Here’s how in #iOS26. pic.twitter.com/t9fEyp2CWT
— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) September 23, 2025
Messages now include options to screen messages from unknown senders, create polls, and add backgrounds to conversations.
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iOS 18.7 or iOS 26? Here’s some info to help you make the decision. Thanks @JakeMooreUK for comments!https://t.co/cdDix5Z1qc
— Kate O'Flaherty (@KateOflaherty) September 22, 2025
Apple Intelligence elevates the user experience with features like Live Translation, which facilitates seamless communication across languages in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Users can also take screenshots and use ChatGPT to ask questions about what they see.
Liquid Glass and new iPhone upgrades
The fitness experience is enhanced with Workout Buddy, providing personalized, spoken motivation during workouts. Shortcuts can now tap into Apple Intelligence models to accelerate workflows.
However, some users have reported battery drain issues after updating to iOS 26. Apple acknowledged that after any major update, there may be a temporary impact on battery life and performance. This is normal as the device needs time to finish setup tasks in the background.
iOS 26 offers a redesigned Battery screen with more information and a new Adaptive Power mode to extend battery life. Users can also try battery-saving tricks like lowering display brightness and letting some activities take longer to complete. Despite the battery concerns, iOS 26 brings exciting improvements to the iPhone experience.
The update is available for iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, and later models. Users can check for the update in Settings > General > Software Update.
