iOS 26 is here! Your iPhone 17 will come with Liquid Glass and exciting new Apple Intelligence features

Now that the iPhone 17 is out, Apple has just released iOS 26. This is the latest version of iOS, complete with a new naming convention, as well as a massive overhaul the likes of which hasn’t been seen since 2013. The update brings the company’s new software redesign and a slew of very helpful features, some of which are being powered by Apple Intelligence.

iOS 26 is now out, though you may not receive the update immediately due to a staggered launch. All iPhone models after, and including, the iPhone 11 will get iOS 26.

If you’re not seeing the update show up by itself, do the following:

• Open the Settings app
• Go to General
• Go to Software Update
• Install iOS 26 if it’s showing up

Liquid Glass is stunning — complementing the iPhone 17 Pro redesign as well as Apple’s three-year plan for the iPhone — but it’s hardly the only new change to get excited for. Let’s go over some of the major new features, starting, of course, with the beautiful visual overhaul.

Liquid Glass on iOS 26

With iOS 26, we’re seeing Apple’s first major design overhaul since iOS 7 in 2013. The iPhone is doing away with a user interface that looks similar to other phones’ software, and introducing something truly unique.

While some people may try to downplay Liquid Glass as just some transparent windows, it is so much more than that. Your menus, buttons, and other UI elements will now resemble actual glass: refracting the light behind and around them in real time with very realistic visual effects.

A lot of work went into Liquid Glass, with engineers at Apple actually creating real glass icons to study how light refracts across them. The new UI is a joy to behold and use, though it is a bit taxing on the battery. Fortunately, iOS 26 has another tool to help with that.

Adaptive Power Mode for iPhone

Apple has introduced Adaptive Power Mode alongside iOS 26. This new mode studies your usage patterns, and adjusts the phone’s battery use accordingly.

Crucially, it can control how much processing power a particular app can receive, ensuring longer battery life when needed. Other than that, it can also adjust a few other aspects, like display brightness, to help your phone last as long as possible.

Adaptive Power Mode will be absolutely necessary for the new iPhone Air, which has a tiny battery because of its super slim form.

iMessage finally catches up

Apple’s iMessage is finally catching up to modern chatting apps by introducing a ton of new features that, frankly speaking, should have been added in a long time ago. Here are the most important ones:

• See who is typing in a group chat
• Add a person to your contacts from a group chat
• Select part of a message, instead of copying it all
• Create polls to vote in in group chats
• Add a background to any chat

AI-powered call tools

Two new Apple Intelligence tools shown off recently seemed really cool, and may be just as good in practice: Call Screening and Hold Assist.

Call Screening uses AI to answer calls from unknown people and ask them their name, and why they are calling. That seems very useful to get rid of unwanted spam calls. Hold Assist sounds like it’s even more useful: AI remains on hold in a call, notifying you when the person on the other side — usually a customer service representative — is ready to talk.

Preview and AutoMix

The Preview app from the Mac is finally making its way over to the iPhone with iOS 26. You will now be able to view and edit PDF files, as well as images, on your phone, using the same tools that you’re used to on your Mac.

AutoMix, meanwhile, is just simple fun. It’s a new feature in Apple Music that fades one song into the next, but a lot more smoothly. According to Apple’s showcase, the feature is meant to make it feel like you’re listening to a DJ transition from one track to the next.

CarPlay is getting a big update

With iOS 26, CarPlay is becoming a lot more useful. These are some of the most important new features:

• Respond to messages quickly with Tapbacks
• Better view for incoming calls that doesn’t impede other elements
• CarPlay can now show Live Activities
• Stream videos using AirPlay when the car is parked

iOS 26 is now out, and you should be getting it on your iPhone 16 or prior very soon. If you’re waiting for your iPhone 17 to get delivered, then you’ll start using it with iOS 26 pretty much out of the box.

"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!